Thread: VA: Impact of Prince William policy unclear

Impact of Prince William policy unclear

Fairfax County
By Layla Wilder
Source: Fairfax County Times
WEDNESDAY, MAY 28 2008

While a crackdown on illegal immigration in Prince William County has been seemingly effective there, some say surrounding jurisdictions may be taking the impact.

“[b]We have anecdotal information that illegal aliens are leaving Prince William County primarily for Fairfax, Montgomery and Arlington counties,â€

the impact was very clear till "They" made it unclear

Related story:

Illegal immigration crackdown has economic effect on county
May 28, 2008 - 12:45pm

Hank Silverberg, WTOP Radio

WOODBRIDGE, Va. -- It's been eight months since Prince William County began its crackdown on illegal immigrants.

In the short term, there have been some results, but the long term impact remains a question mark.

Business has dropped dramatically for merchants along the busy Route 1 corridor. Stores catering to immigrants have shut their doors, and others have seen as much as a 50 percent decline in sales.

And, foreclosures are higher in the county than in surrounding areas. About 7,000 homes are affected.

County officials are urging people to report vacant homes in their neighborhoods so they can get a better idea of how many homes may have overgrown lawns, trash problems or could be targets for vandalism.

Corey Stewart, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, paints a positive picture of the crackdown's results.

"Overcrowding complaints have dropped dramatically, and the overall quality of life in the county is improving," Stewart says.

But George Mason economist Steven Fuller says the county's crackdown on illegal immigration has damaged Prince William County's image and could scare off future investors.

In the meantime, the county is allocating $50 million to help county employees get low-interest loans to purchase some of the foreclosed homes.

The crackdown has been particularly hard on the Hispanic community, once 15 percent of the county's population.

Nancy Lyall from Mexicans Without Borders says many legal and illegal Hispanics have left the county for good.

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1411457

"But George Mason economist Steven Fuller says the county's crackdown on illegal immigration has damaged Prince William County's image and could scare off future investors."

Sarcasm on:
Mason--"Don't you know business will not go where they can violate the laws of the USA?? They want cheap labor and to have the tax base cover the bulk of their expenses. "

Economist--rapidly becoming a profession on a par with prostitution.

Find an economist who can plan without "growth" will probably be only ten economists left in the whole country.

Overcrowding complaints have dropped dramatically, and the overall quality of life in the county is improving," Stewart says.

Amen.