Dan Genz, The Examiner
2008-04-30 07:00:00.0
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WASHINGTON -

Prince William County Supervisors changed their signature crackdown on illegal immigrants Tuesday night to focus only on those arrested on suspicion for a crime.

Supervisors said the changes would save money and reduce the police department's exposure to lawsuits.

Under the proposal, unanimously approved late Tuesday, officers will check the legal status of suspected illegal immigrants after they are arrested for a local offense, but before they go before a judge for bail and bond determinations.

The changes will eliminate the possibly of the sort of incidents that occurred in March in which officers checked the legal status of residents who had not committed crimes.

More than 100 people addressed the board Tuesday night before critical votes on the county’s $900 million budget, which included a 23 percent tax rate increase largely made necessary by the immigration crackdown. That increase would have resulted in a $150 increase in the average tax bill.

“Every dollar we spend checking immigration status on the street is one less dollar we spend on our roads, schools and public safety,” said

Supervisor Frank Principi, D-Woodbridge, who supported checking only those illegal immigrants who had been booked at the county jail.

But many speakers urged the board to remain firm on the policy.

“You can’t take the teeth out of this proposal,” said Scott Gilbert a Woodbridge resident. “This thing is right for us now. … don’t take any half measures.”

“We need this enforcement and we need it now, before it’s too late,” added Ella Shannon of Woodbridge.

Debate raged for more than five hours headed into a decision after press time.

“It’s dividing neighbor against neighbor, and the children, even the children are discriminating against one another in the school system,” said

Ruth Hellwig, a 45-year resident of Woodbridge. “How can you possibly want that, another generation of discrimination? God help us.”

dgenz@dcexaminer.com