The District of Columbia City Council recently passed a resolution condemning Virginia’s Prince William and Loudoun Counties for their harsh policies on illegal immigrants. The deep division among local jurisdictions is emblematic of how the larger issue of immigration is addressed in communities around the country.
The D.C. city government does not require proof of legal residency from people seeking city services.
“I think that we have an obligation to everyone who lives here that they have access to programs and services that will keep them safe and healthy and that will keep our community safe and healthy,” D.C. Council Member Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) said.
D.C. suburbs such as Alexandria and Arlington in Virginia and Montgomery County in Maryland have similar policies.
In contrast, D.C.’s outer suburbs in Loudoun and Prince William Counties recently passed legislation requiring residents to prove their legal status when seeking certain county services. PWC’s Board of Supervisors unanimously passed its immigration policy on October 16th.
Prince William Supervisor Michael May (R-Occoquan District) said that the board chose services that would be restricted, such as the Homeless Intervention Program.
“The amount of services we’re able to limit to citizens and legal residents is somewhat limited,” May said. “There are several services that we must provide to everybody regardless of legal status [such as] emergency medical care or education for kids.”
May emphasized that the policy makes for a better jail system. Once residents come through the correctional facilities, the county will check legal status.
“Obviously people that are illegal aliens don’t like it because they don’t want to potentially be caught and turned over to immigration,” May said. “But the law is certainly clear on that: if you’re not legally present in the country, you don’t have a right to be here.”
Prince William’s policy has brought criticism from groups such as Washington area’s Central American Resource Center (Carecen).
Carecen’s Program Manager America Calberon called the county’s policy anti-immigrant and racist, while saying that D.C.’s policy makes immigrants feel welcome and protected by the police.
“This is just going to make the people afraid of the police,” Calberon said. “They [immigrants] are not going to come to the police to report any crimes or any other things. So instead of getting the trust of the police, they are not going to come forward with anything.”
