The Mean Have Spoken
So last night... at about 2:30AM.... Prince William County board of supervisors passed a resolution that will do the following:
Allow local police to require proof of citizenship of detainees (note, probable cause is still required for ID checks, police aren't allowed to just do ID checks for fun and games). Illegal aliens will be detained and shipped to the feds for processing.
Allow all programs funded by county tax dollars to require citizenship as a condition for participation in those programs. A major exclusion here, though, is emergency health care which is still required to be provided regardless of citizenship, insurance, etc.
The Board (which is populated by Republicans and Democrats) voted unamimously in favor of the resolution.
Here's some background... mainly for the people who don't live in the county and think this is an exercise in political theory... as opposed to me... who has to deal with this nonsense daily and as a fact of life.
Prince William County, over the past five years, has become a safe haven for illegal immigrants. Fairfax and Loudon counties have had more strict regulations regarding immigrants and neighboring Prince William has had none really. The majority of folks in Prince William County are fed up. There are areas, especially in Manassas and Woodbridge that have been completely run into the ground by crime, mostly MS13 gang related. Prince William Hospital's ER is jammed packed 24/7 with non-emergency handout seekers. 40% of the county's school kids are learning english as a second language. Social services/welfare spending has gone through the roof. The vast majority of residents, including legal immigrants, are tired of it. All of the supervisor positions are up for re-election this year.
The people of the county have spoken. The supervisors have listened.
Democracy in action.
400 people spoke last night at the hearing on the resolution. Most were pointless ramblings. There was a group of children who spoke and begged the board not to hurt their families and send their parents away. I thought that was funny. Obviously it isn't the parent's responsibility to obtain citizenship an ensure family unity... the county should just make it happen.
That and the random lady who went on a rant about how she had the right to be there. She was speaking from the illegal alien point of view and I think it summed up why this whole thing bothers me... somehow... people have come to feel that everyone is entitled to live in the US. They have the right to be here. They really don't. The law is pretty clear on that.
I think there are already 2 law suits against the county on this. The good news is that the county seems to have no inclination to back down and is looking forward to testing the law in court.
I was pleased to see that the board did not allow non-county residents to speak at the hearing. Since really... it's none of their business.