Manassas (Map, News) - The Prince William County board unanimously passed one of the nation’s toughest local resolutions on illegal immigration Tuesday before a sharply divided crowd of more than 250 people.

The resolution, however, was significantly scaled back from its original version to avoid legal hurdles, but it still moves the board toward denying county services to illegal immigrants and attempts to make it easier to deport illegal immigrants who break the law.

“Prince William County has really stepped up to the plate on this issue,” Chairman Corey Stewart said.

Earlier wording that would have denied illegal immigrants access to public education, in violation of rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court, was eliminated. The motion now directs the county to research what it can do to deny services to illegal immigrants instead of outright denying those services.

The proposal drew more than 115 comments from both critics and supporters. Supporters hailed the board for tackling an issue they said was costing taxpayers millions, leading to an increase in crime and a diminished quality of life. Critics said it as an illegal and racist measure that could lead to profiling against Hispanics and would prompt an immediate court challenge.

Board members said the proposal was designed only to curb illegal immigration in light of Congress’ failure to enact comprehensive reforms earlier this year.

One of the sharpest critics was Prince William County Police Chief Charlie Deane, who said the measure would increase perceptions of racism, leading to more gang activity and more crime, driving up enforcement costs and taxes.

The supervisors relaxed some of the language that raised Deane’s ire and congratulated the police department on its efforts to deport illegal immigrants accused of felonies.

County Executive Craig Gerhart advised the board to keep its expectations in check and to appreciate the costs involved in requiring verification for county services. He said the federal government can open deportation proceedings on only 40 illegal immigrants at a time, and that limited what the county could accomplish.

The county will also create a massive database of its 370,000 residents to establish who is legal and who is not.

Opposition to illegal immigration rose as the county’s Hispanic population grew from about 10,000 in 1990 to more than 64,000 in 2005.

dgenz@dcexaminer.com