AG seeks immigrant crackdown

http://link.toolbot.com/dailyprogress.com/55719

By Rob Seal
January 18, 2007

Virginia’s top prosecutor is seeking to give state law enforcement the authority to crack down on illegal immigration.

Attorney General Bob McDonnell called on Gov. Timothy M. Kaine on Wednesday to enter into a federal agreement that would give Virginia State Police the authority to detain illegal immigrants.

The state attorney general is also supporting new legislation that would allow local law enforcement to seek immigration enforcement training from the federal Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“Attorney General McDonnell feels as though we can’t just keep blaming the federal government for inaction,” spokesman David Clementson said. “We here in Virginia should be responsible for fighting illegal immigration.”

Kaine, however, said Wednesday that he won’t have state police take on what he described as a federal responsibility.

“Gov. Kaine has looked into this issue and has determined that he doesn’t think this is an appropriate use of state police resources,” said Kevin Hall, Kaine’s press secretary.

Federal law says local authorities can ask for training that would allow them to enforce immigration laws.

If passed, legislation recently introduced in the General Assembly would make the right to ask for that training part of state law.

However, local authorities say they don’t have the ability or the inclination to tackle immigration enforcement.

“You add something of this magnitude to our workload and I think it will stretch the resources of this police department in a way that doesn’t best serve the community,” Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy J. Longo said.

Albemarle Police Chief John Miller said he doesn’t want to jeopardize bridges the department is trying to build with the Hispanic community.

“The hardest thing to overcome with that community is their distrust of police,” Miller said. “If we were putting on the hat of immigration enforcement, there would be a lot of Hispanic people that would not come to us if they had a problem.”

Albemarle County Sheriff Edgar S. Robb said he supports the idea of additional immigration enforcement, but doesn’t think his department could handle the strain.

“I very much agree that we need to do something,” said Robb, a former federal agent. “But we certainly don’t have the manpower to do it well.”
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