Prince William County Supervisors voted unanimously early Wednesday morning to approve a controversial illegal-immigration crackdown after nearly 12 hours of emotional testimony from residents pleading their sharply divided sides of the polarizing issue.

The plan directed County Police Chief Charlie Deane to create a seven-person criminal alien unit designed to target illegal immigrants who break the law. The new unit will also train the police force to check the legal status of suspected illegal immigrants stopped for traffic violations or arrested for misdemeanors.

The plan also calls for denial of some county services to elderly residents, but allows for more study by the county staff.

The proposal's author made a final pitch to his colleagues that taking a strong stance against illegal immigration had become a requirement for local lawmakers.

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"This issue was, is and always should remain about the rule of law. If we don't stand for the rule of law, we don't stand for anything," Supervisor John Stirrup said.

Although the plan has start-up money, County Executive Craig Gerhart asked the board to commit to paying the full cost of the plan this year, estimated to be about $900,000.

Supervisors approved the plan despite concern about a $10 million budget deficit and a steep 14 percent fall in the property-tax base set to hit next year. Officials also raised concerns that the issue had become overly political.

"I think too that we politicized this process to the point that it's just gotten out of hand," Supervisor John Jenkins said, despite supporting the resolution. "I'm kind of upset about the big rush to this."

The vivid, often personal testimony from hundreds of Prince William County residents ran from a few minutes after 2 p.m. Tuesday to a few minutes before 2 a.m. Wednesday.

"We are bigger than this," Woodbridge family physician Richard Owen testified well after midnight. "I can't tell you how upset I was to see the actions of this board in traveling down this path. It seems like we Anglos can't get it right."

Former illegal immigrant Mike Chin from Jamaica urged other immigrants to follow in his footsteps by returning to their home country to "Do it the right way," and follow all the steps to become legal immigrants.

Fifth-grader Jonathan Aldaz, 11, simply told the supervisors he feared his parents would be taken away.

dgenz@dcexaminer.com