Dan Genz, The Examiner
2007-06-07 07:00:00.0
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Prince William County -

A new organization is pushing Prince William County law enforcement officers to check the immigration status of suspects charged with misdemeanors.

Help Save Manassas urged the board of supervisors Tuesday to ensure undocumented residents face immigration penalties when they break lesser laws, said Greg Letiecq, the group’s president.

The county already has provisions to check the immigration status of those charged with felony offenses, but Letiecq argues waiting until a criminal is captured for a felony charge is too passive.

“That means we’re only going to deal with these folks when they kill, rob or maim us,” Letiecq said. “I think it has to protect us before bad things happen.”

Critics questioned the group’s motives, noting the police are only being asked to check status of “suspected illegal immigrants.”

The proposal would encourage ethnic profiling, said Ricardo Juarez, general coordinator of the immigrant civil rights group Mexicanos Sin Fronteras. A policy aimed only at those suspected of being in the country illegally, he said, would create a double standard.

“I think justice has to be equal for everybody. Anyone who has committed a crime has to be prosecuted the same way,” Juarez said.

The group, which held its first meeting in April, plans to make regular appearances at board meetings until more policies are changed. There is also not a specific proposal on the supervisors’ agenda expanding checks to those charged with misdemeanors.

“We will continue to beat the drum until they do,” Letiecq said.

dgenz@dcexaminer.com