Thread: MD: Anne Arundel County goes after illegals

Anne Arundel goes after illegals
December 7, 2007

By Tom LoBianco - ANNAPOLIS — Anne Arundel County has taken the lead in Maryland on cracking down on illegal aliens.

County Executive John R. Leopold, a Republican, has already required Anne Arundel agencies to check the documents of contract workers and is now working with federal immigration officials.

"I think the issue nationally is obviously a priority issue for many Americans," he said this week. "We want to discourage illegal immigration and encourage legal immigration."

Mr. Leopold has pulled funding in the county budget for social programs to illegal aliens and will put together a plan that helps employers verify citizenship.

Federal immigration officials said Anne Arundel has surpassed Maryland's other 22 counties and Baltimore City in efforts to resolve problems with illegal aliens.

The county has gone "above and beyond the normal course of business," said James Dinkins, special agent in charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Baltimore field office. "They're taking it another step, and I have to say it's an outstanding avenue — to look at people who are receiving benefits and contracts and receiving local tax dollars."

Mr. Dinkins said his office focuses largely on high-profile crime by illegal aliens, including gang activity and sex crimes.

ICE agents coordinated with Anne Arundel police last month to round up nine illegals who authorities say were involved in underage drinking and the sale of illegal drugs at a Mexican restaurant and bar in Glen Burnie called Viva La Raza.

Two other Maryland counties have made efforts to crack down on illegal aliens. Baltimore County appointed an officer to coordinate with federal officials, and Frederick County has trained police in illegal alien detention.

State leaders have yet to address the issue of illegals, especially in comparison to Virginia lawmakers.

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, a Democrat, supports in-state tuition to illegals and has helped funnel state tax credits to CASA of Maryland, a group that advocates for illegal aliens.

O'Malley spokesman Rick Abbruzzese said Wednesday that the governor would not discuss the illegals issue because he was focusing on environmental concerns, then blamed the illegal alien problem on President Bush.

"I think we can all agree the Bush administration has failed miserably to secure our borders and enforce immigration policy," he said.

Maryland also is one of only eight states that provides driver's licenses to illegals, although the issue will be addressed next month in the 2008 General Assembly session.

In Virginia, a state commission recently submitted 17 recommendations on dealing with illegal aliens, including giving financial incentives to localities that add jail space to house illegals awaiting deportation and denying bail to illegals.

The General Assembly will consider the recommendations when lawmakers convene next month for their 2008 legislative session.

Gov. Tim Kaine, Democrat, will consider adding the jail space as long as the state is not stuck with the bill. However, he does not support a federal program in which state law-enforcement officials would be trained to identify and detain illegal aliens.

Strong efforts to resolve the problem of illegals in Virginia also have come from county and local levels.

Twenty communities — including Culpeper and Loudoun counties and the towns of Herndon and Culpeper — have formed the Coalition on Illegal Aliens. The strongest effort has come from Prince William County, particularly the Board of County Supervisors and Chairman Corey A. Stewart, a Republican.

Last month, the Prince William board approved one of the most aggressive crackdowns in the country on illegal aliens — an ordinance denying county-funded public services to illegals and authorizing police to check the immigration status of a detainee, if they have probable cause to think the detainee violated immigration laws.

Maryland counties, besides Anne Arundel, have provided aid and shelter to illegal aliens.

Montgomery County Executive Isiah "Ike" Leggett, a Democrat, has supported a day-laborer center in Gaithersburg and attended the opening of a new services center for immigrants in Langley Park.

"Our view is the lack of federal action sort of puts all other jurisdiction between a rock and a hard place," said Leggett spokesman Patrick Lacefield. "The county is not in favor of illegal immigration, but ... we're not going to be taking punitive action and are not using scarce local resources to enforce federal action in our community."

Prince George's County leaders have taken a hands-off approach to immigration enforcement.

"There's no role in local government for enforcing immigration status," said Jim Keary, a spokesman for county Executive Jack B. Johnson, a Democrat.

But Mr. Leopold, who also sponsored legislation to crack down on illegals during his 20 years as a state delegate, said that resources in Anne Arundel are scarce and that is why he has pulled support for illegals.

"Our budget needs are infinite, and our resources are finite," he said.
http://washingtontimes.com/article/2007 ... 70064/1001

"Viva la Raza"?

These defendants are not giving their race much credit.

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