By Natasha Altamirano
August 24, 2007
A Virginia task force is looking for ways to take control of the widespread
and varied laws that localities have recently enacted to crack down on
illegal aliens.
The Virginia State Crime Commission's task force on illegal immigration is
scheduled to meet Tuesday in Richmond, and it expects to hear presentations on
the number of illegal aliens in the state's jails and prisons and the
federal government's handling of incarcerated criminal aliens.
The task force, made up of lawmakers and law-enforcement officials, last
month requested the data from commission staff after proposing a mandate for
state sheriffs and jail wardens to initiate deportation proceedings for illegal
aliens.
The proposal is intended to create a uniform statewide policy on immigration
enforcement to replace the current "patchwork approach" of sometimes
conflicting policies at the county and city levels, said state Sen. Kenneth W.
Stolle, Virginia Beach Republican and co-chairman of the task force.
New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram on Wednesday ordered state and
local police to notify federal immigration officials when an illegal alien is
arrested for an indictable offense or drunken driving.
The decision was made with a similar goal of creating a statewide policy
after a suspect in the Aug. 4 execution-style killings of three Newark, N.J.,
college students was found to be an illegal alien who had been granted bail on
child rape and aggravated-assault charges.
Immigration officials had not been notified of the suspect's existence.
Virginia Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell said his powers are not as
broad as those of New Jersey's attorney general, but that he's been working
closely with the crime commission's task force to implement statewide immigration
enforcement through what's known as federal 287(g) training.
"I'm 100 percent in support of that kind of effort," Mr. McDonnell said
yesterday. "I'm a strong advocate that ... sheriff's departments make inquiries
at the point of arrest."
Virginia Delegate David B. Albo, Fairfax County Republican and co-chairman
of the task force, said state law already requires sheriffs and jail
administrators to notify federal immigration officials when illegal aliens are
convicted of certain crimes, but that the law isn't always enforced due in part to
lack of resources.
"That's already the law, but sheriffs are not always doing it and don't
necessarily have all the resources to do it," Mr. Albo said in an interview
yesterday. "What we're trying to do is exactly that - and do it so it works, not
so it can be put in some brochure."
A number of Virginia localities have enacted measures to crack down on
illegal aliens.
The Manassas Park City Council is one of the latest jurisdictions to take
action on illegal immigration.
Earlier this week, council members said they would monitor a Prince William
County resolution on illegal aliens and, if the resolution withstands legal
challenges, they would consider adopting similar measures.
Last month, Prince William County supervisors unanimously passed a
resolution aimed at denying public services to illegal aliens and toughening local
immigration enforcement.
Loudoun County supervisors passed a similar resolution the following week,
and government officials in Culpeper, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Chesterfield and
James City counties have followed suit.
oThis article is based in part on wire service reports.
Blogged with Flock
No comments:
Post a Comment