Thread: Privacy Laws Get in the Way of Immigration Crackdown

Privacy Laws Get in the Way of Immigration Crackdown

September 9, 2007 - 9:25am
http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=25&sid=1243081
Hank Silverberg, WTOP Radio

WASHINGTON - Privacy laws might make it difficult for local governments to deny public services to illegal immigrants.

The recent crackdown proposed, in Prince William and Loudoun counties, on illegal immigrants would require the local governments to check the legal status of everyone seeking public services.

Mike Hollenbeck, a privacy expert, said this presents a problem to the counties.

"Privacy laws...preclude them getting the information necessary,and then even if they get the information, the invasion of privacy that would result," Hollenbeck said.

Hollenbeck said the governments could retrieve personal information about any citizen. He said a databank Could be created to store information about where people use the library, which pool they go to, social security numbers and birth certificate numbers.

"There's a lot of privacy laws in the way. And even if those laws weren't in the way, once they have all that information, it's all subject to FOIA under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act," Hollenbeck said.

The two counties could face several other state and federal laws that have nothing to do with immigration.

This is propaganda. They know if we give up our privacy to stop the illegals that it will affect Americans more than it would the illegals. Keep the Privacy laws in place. The fourth Amendment was written for a reason.