Activists opposed to illegal immigrant services band
A dozen grassroots groups begin work on forming a regional coalition
Sebastian Montes

Anti-illegal immigrant activists from around the metropolitan area held their first meeting Wednesday night to begin work on forming a regional coalition aimed at pressuring local and state governments to cut their support of illegal immigrants next year.

Representatives from a dozen grassroots groups in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., attended the meeting.

The focus in Maryland will be on driver’s licenses, in-state tuition and day-laborer centers, said Brad Botwin of Derwood, director of the grass-roots group Help Save Maryland. He expects to draw on lessons learned by groups such as Help Save Herndon in convincing local officials to enact tighter illegal-immigrant laws.

‘‘Clearly, our friends from Virginia are light years ahead of us in Maryland,â€