The leader of a federal civil rights panel vowed to hold the type of in-depth, balanced hearing on the illegal immigration issue today that Prince William County politicians should have held before approving its landmark crackdown in October.

Touting a list of 13 witnesses including county officials and national experts that has come under fire from local groups left on the sidelines, Linda Chavez, chairwoman of Virginia's arm of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, said the hearing will be centered on “facts.”

“The resolution states as a fact that illegal immigration has hurt Prince William County, but I didn't see a whole lot of hard, concrete data to support that,” Chavez said. “I'm hoping that we're going to get the kind of information you would have thought the Board of Supervisors would have gathered,” she said.

Yet, the public hearing at Prince Williiam County's administration building is a chance to artfully defend the plan, County Chairman Corey Stewart said.

This story continues below
Advertisement

“I see this as an opportunity for us to demonstrate the problem that illegal immigration has posed for Prince William County and the very reasonable and measured approach that we have taken,” said Stewart, who contended Chavez has made assumptions before the hearing.

The law approved in October directs police to enforce federal illegal immigration laws and initiate deportation proceedings against traffic violators and suspects of minor offenses. It is set to take effect in March, after county police officers are trained.

Vocal groups leading both sides of the debate complained Thursday that the commission would miss important local perspective.

“How do they really expect to investigate civil rights issues when they are not inviting local immigrants to speak,” said Nancy Lyall, a coordinator for Mexicanos sin Fronteras, who noted that no Hispanics were set to testify. “Don't bother to come. You're not investigating anything.”

Illegal immigration critic Greg Letiecq said little could come of the panel's work.

The speakers include two national immigration experts, two national anti-illegal immigration leaders, five county officials including Stewart, a filmmaker, a local attorney representing immigrants, a hospital executive and a pastor.

dgenz@dcexaminer.com