Three Loudoun County supervisors are poised to introduce a measure today that would deny services to illegal residents and make it easier to deport them, following neighboring Prince William County into the boiling immigration debate.

Supervisor Mick Staton said he was teaming up with Supervisors Eugene Delgaudio and Bruce Tulloch to push a resolution at a morning board meeting that is similar to the controversial measure Prince William County supervisors passed last week.

“People are asking if Loudoun County is going to join Prince William in taking a stand in working and engaging this,” Delgaudio, R-Sterling, told The Examiner. “I wish to make a firm statement against illegal immigrants.”

The resolution would lay the groundwork to deny county services to illegal immigrants and make it easier to deport those under investigation for allegedly breaking other laws.

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“The feeling is that if the federal government isn’t going to do anything and the state government isn’t doing anything, it’s time for us to stand up for ourselves,” Staton told The Examiner.

Civil rights groups raised alarm that Hispanic residents throughout the region will face prejudice from police and government staff.

“The worst part of the Prince William resolution was its message. It is an anti-Latino message sent to the entire community,” ACLU Executive Director Kent Willis said. “If the message spreads from county to county in Virginia, there will be no place left where Latinos feel like they can be treated equally.”

At least two supervisors were not aware of the proposal when Delgaudio announced it to the media Monday afternoon.

“He tends to act this way at the last second and throw a controversial subject out there,” Supervisor Jim Burton, I-Blue Ridge, said.

Loudoun County has been among the nation’s fastest-growing counties as its population has swelled from about 169,000 in 2000 to 269,000 by 2006. The Hispanic population rose even faster from just more than 10,000 in 2000 to 25,000 in five years.

dgenz@dcexaminer.com