Services denied illegals cost county $8.4M


By KEITH WALKER
kwalker@manassasjm.com
Thursday, November 8, 2007



The resolution that Prince William Board of County Supervisors passed in October denies eight county services to illegal immigrants.

The services cost the county a total of $8.4 million last fiscal year and served 3,374 people, according to the county public information office.

It's not clear if any illegal immigrants used any of the services that include in-home medical services for elderly and disabled illegal immigrants; in-home services for aging illegal immigrants, which may include safety assessments of dwellings; adult identification services, which include fingerprinting for the elderly and disabled who may wander away from home; and an elderly disabled tax relief program, tax exemptions for home renovations, rental and mortgage assistance, substance abuse programs for jail inmates and a substance abuse outreach program for juveniles.

There were 2,929 applicants for tax relief for the elderly and disabled program last year. The program cost $6.8 million.

The county spent $234,292 for 33 people to participate in the tax rehabilitation program for home improvements.

The drug program at the jail where 139 people participated cost $500,585.

The drug rehabilitation for juveniles, which is called the High Incident Drug Trafficking Area Prevention program cost $173,771 and had 173 participants.

There were 33 families, with 115 people, who were helped by the Homeless Intervention Program that cost $296,500.

There are 51 clients currently receiving In-Home Services for the Aging which allows older residents to remain in their homes. The services include personal care, bathing and respite for the caregivers. The budget for the program is $335,727 and the program has a waiting list of 24.

Fingerprinting for senior identification happens two to three times a year at senior citizens picnics and expos. The sheriff's department doesn't keep track of the seniors who are fingerprinted.

The annual budget for the Companion Aide Registry for the Elderly is $88,073. Last year the program, which provides in-home services and minor home repairs, served 42 people, the information office reported.

Before it passed the resolution, the board directed its staff to determine which services could and couldn't be denied to illegal immigrants.

Staff had 90 days to present the results and did not study the costs of implementing programs to deny the services to illegal immigrants, said county spokeswoman Nikki Brown.

The ordinance also prevents illegal immigrants from getting business licenses and authorizes a seven-member Criminal Alien Police unit, along with training in immigration law for roughly 500 county police officers which will cost an estimated $14.2 million over five years.

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