Thread: Immigration supporters threaten to sue county

Group threatens to sue county

By KEITH WALKER
kwalker@manassasjm.com
Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Another group has threatened to sue the county over its efforts aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration.

Miguel Rivera president of the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders said a resolution directing police to inquire into people's legal residence would certainly target Hispanics.

In July the Prince William Board of County Supervisors passed a resolution that directed the police department to arrange for some of its officer to receive Immigration and Customs Enforcement training so that they could enforce immigration law.

At the same time, the board directed the police department to establish rules for determining when they have "probable cause" to ask people about their legal status.

"The only way to enforce these types of laws is to use racial profiling. There's no other way," Rivera said.

Prince William Chairman Corey A. Stewart, R-at large, disagreed.

He said that the line for checking legal status would be "crystal clear."

"Whatever standard we come up with is going to have nothing to do with race, ethnicity or language. It's going to be based purely upon some objective standard," Stewart said

Such an objective could be failure to have a Virginia driver's license, Stewart said.

The resolution also directed county staff to determine which county services could be denied to illegal immigrants.

While the coalition is waiting to see what ordinances are finally put in place, Rivera said the county doesn't have the authority to enact ordinances that exceed federal laws.

"Local municipalities, and even states, are not entitled to entertain any type of issues, or try to deal with issues regarding immigration that pertains to the federal government," Rivera said. "Once we get a better look at what they're going to be approving, that will be enforceable, then that's what we're going to start on."

Stewart said he thinks local governments can enact and enforce immigration laws under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The act is the vehicle which allows ICE to train police and jail officers to enforce immigration law.

"I don't think that that's going to work. We're confident that what we're doing is absolutely legally sound," Stewart said.

The Washington, D.C.-based coalition, which Rivera said represents 16,000 to 20,000 Latino evangelical churches, is developing a database to keep track of cases where racial profiling may have occurred. It is also training local ministers to gather information regarding racial profiling so it will be prepared to take potential cases to the U.S. Department of Justice, Rivera said.

Rivera described the coalition as a "conservative" organization which is against illegal immigration, but said coalition members couldn't "turn their backs" on the discomfiture that the Hispanic community would suffer under a resolution meant to enforce immigration law.

"We understand the concerns of the community and in some ways sympathize with these concerns, but we have to seek a solution that will be good for the economy, good for the community avoiding the anxiety and the animosity that this type of resolution will create," he said.

Stewart said it's important that the supervisors "reach out" to immigrant communities to allay fears.

Rivera said the coalition, which has similar lawsuits pending in New Jersey and Texas, doesn't see way to approach the problem other than taking local governments to court.

"We have decided that we have to confront these issues in court. Not because we think that we will win but because it is the moral thing to do," Rivera said.

In the meantime, coalition representatives are willing to meet with supervisors or county officials to talk about the possible consequences of a resolution. The coalition sent a letter to County Executive Craig Gerhart Friday requesting a meeting. Gerhart's office said it had not received the letter as of Monday.

Stewart said he is willing to meet with anybody.

"I'm very open to meeting with him," Stewart said.

Prince William Supervisor John T. Stirrup, R-Gainesville, who introduced the resolution, said he was willing to meet with people, but he couldn't speak for the rest of the board.

"This is the recess period for the board and I know that a number of board members build this time into their schedule for vacation," Stirrup said. "To try to get everybody together for a meeting is going to be a difficult thing to do."

Rivera said he suspects that the proposed resolution is a political move in an election year.

Stewart said not so. The board authorized ICE training for seven jail officers earlier this year.

Stirup said the resolution had nothing to do with politics

"At the end of the day, this is about the rule of law and the board's reaffirmation of the rule of law," Stirrup said.

"We got that rolling late last fall. This is something we didn't just come up with in July. this is an ongoing effort," Stewart said.

The coalition, which has 19 chapters in 32 states, held a rally Saturday at the McCoart Administration Center. Rivera said about 1,200 people attended. Published reports stated that about 500 attended.

Stirrup said he didn't think the threat of a lawsuit would affect the board's publicy.

"I don't believe this board is going to be intimated by anybody threatening a lawsuit," Stirrup said.

http://www.potomacnews.com/servlet/Sate ... 8070&path=

Why is the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders gathering information for a lawsuit and taking up this political cause?

"Miguel Rivera president of the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders said a resolution directing police to inquire into people's legal residence would certainly target Hispanics."

What was this man thinking. By the way, if we checked everyone, he would just find something else to whine about.