News (Noticias) Tagged ‘prince william county’

Since the day one year ago when Prince William County supervisors launched their crackdown on illegal immigration, the gulf between the Olivers’ relief and Gonzalez’s dejection has narrowed little, and possibly widened.

At least there is one thing partisans on both sides agree on: Hispanic immigrants are leaving Prince William. Whether their departure has improved the county’s quality of life, or pushed its already strained economy further downward, is the new topic of contention driven largely by views of whether the presence of immigrants was a good thing in the first place. “*

For years, the Route 1 corridor in the Dumfries-Triangle-Quantico area has lacked a large grocery store, so when entrepreneur Carlos Castro went looking to expand his Todos supermarket franchise with a second Prince William County location, he saw promise in the sleepy expanse of the Dumfries Shopping Plaza. Castro inked a 10-year lease and invested $2 million into renovations, using $500,000 from his savings.

Four months later, in July, Prince William County launched a crackdown on illegal immigrants and set off shock waves among Castro’s mostly Latino customer base. Sales at his Todos Supermarket in Woodbridge tanked, and suddenly, his business plan for Dumfries appeared seriously flawed.

His only option: revise it.”*

Prince William County’s top elected official asserted last month that an exodus of immigrant families after the county’s crackdown on illegal immigration is saving the school system millions of dollars because it has to educate fewer students who are learning English as a second language.

But Prince William school officials say that the departure of nearly 760 students this school year from the English for Speakers of Other Languages program has not brought a financial windfall to the school system, contrary to an estimate of $6 million in savings cited by Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart (R-At Large).”*

The Prince William County supervisors abolished a key part of the county’s illegal-immigration policy last night by directing police officers to question criminal suspects about their immigration status only after they have been arrested.

In October, the Board of County Supervisors directed officers to check the legal status of crime suspects, no matter how minor the offense, if they think the person might be in the country unlawfully.”*

Hundreds of foreign-born families have pulled their children from Prince William County public schools and enrolled them in nearby Fairfax County, Arlington County and Alexandria since the start of the school year, imposing a new financial burden on those inner suburbs in a time of lean budgets.

The school-to-school migration within Northern Virginia started just as Prince William began implementing rules to deny some services to illegal immigrants and require police to check the immigration status of crime suspects thought to be in the country illegally.

Opponents of the rules say they have had a chilling effect on Prince William’s once-thriving Latino community, prompting even legal immigrants to flee a hostile environment. Supporters say the rules have done what they were supposed to by primarily pushing illegal immigrants out.”*

This is exactly the kind of reception Castro was hoping for. Castro’s Todos Supermarkets have long served the Hispanic communities of Alexandria and Woodbridge, but with his new store in Dumfries, Castro is trying to expand his base.

It is the biggest risk of his career. He borrowed $1.5 million and invested about $500,000 of his own savings.

When he signed the lease last April, there was a thriving Hispanic community along Route 1. Now the housing bust and Prince William County’s crackdown on illegal immigrants have driven many Hispanics out, he said, threatening his business model.”*

The way Jaime R. Villagran tells it, to avoid going to jail, he would have had to break one law to obey another.

The Guatemalan native acknowledged that he owed more than $11,000 in child support when he appeared last month in Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. But to pay it, Villagran told the judge, he would have to work illegally because he was awaiting permanent residency and work authorization from the U.S. government. He refused to do that.

“Were I to go to work and get caught, then what? I would have nothing,” Villagran, 33, of Prince William County, said in the Fairfax jail. “If they deported me, there are two kids with no dad, no money. Who’s going to be paying for what they need in the future?”"*

*From: http://www.washingtonpost.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

The politically-charged subject of illegal immigration and all the debate that surrounds it has led to the formation of yet another local grassroots group.

The makers of the YouTube documentary “9500 Liberty” are combining with local blogger Alanna Almeda to protest policies recently implemented by Prince William County and Manassas directed toward illegal immigrants.

The group has yet to come up with the name, but around 75 people came out for the group’s first meeting at the Mexican restaurant El Portal in Woodbridge last Friday.”*

*From: http://www.insidenova.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Mexican consul Enrique Escorza and Prince William County police chief Charlie T. Deane met last night at a Woodbridge shopping center to address concerns of Latino families about the county’s new policies targeting illegal immigrants. But afterward, many of those attending the meeting said it had done little to clear up the confusion about the policies.

About 100 people crammed into a narrow corridor to hear Deane explain the measures, which immigrants say have confused the community and introduced fears that they will be singled out by police for racial profiling and then deported.”*

*From: http://www.washingtonpost.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

A vibrant Latino subculture built in Prince William County over more than a decade is starting to come undone in a matter of months.

With Latinos fleeing the combined effects of the construction downturn, the mortgage crisis and new local laws aimed at catching illegal immigrants, Latino shops are on the brink of bankruptcy, church groups are hemorrhaging members, neighborhoods are dotted with for-sale signs, and once-busy strip malls have been transformed into ghost towns.

County officials who have campaigned for months to drive out illegal immigrants say they would be unhappy to see businesses suffer or legal immigrants forced out in the process.”*

*From: http://www.washingtonpost.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Prince William County’s Hispanic residents are still seeking health care, despite the recent county crackdown on illegal immigrants.

Overall, area health clinics that serve a largely Hispanic population of low-income,

underinsured and those with no health insurance, are not seeing a decline in the number of patients they are treat-ing.”*

*From: http://www.insidenova.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

When Northern Virginia’s Latino soccer leagues kick off the 2008 season early next month, fans of Honduras de Manassas will have to travel outside their base in Prince William County to see their team score goals. So will supporters used to watching Juventus Sure¿o crush the competition in Woodbridge. Devotees of longtime Manassas powerhouse Fiorentina will need to switch allegiance. Their team is sitting out this season.

As Prince William proceeds with its crackdown on illegal immigrants, one result is a shake-up and shrinking of the area’s entrenched Hispanic soccer leagues. The reason is simple, organizers say: Players and fans, among them many illegal immigrants, are so worried about being detained by authorities en route to or at games that they are avoiding local fields. Legal immigrants are also wary, for themselves or their illegal relatives, organizers say.”*

*From: http://www.washingtonpost.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Months after Prince William County began one of the country’s toughest crackdowns on illegal immigrants, officials and residents report signs that substantial numbers of people have left the county, particularly from Hispanic neighborhoods.

Dave Whitlow, town manager of Dumfries, said officials started noticing the change a few months ago when they canvassed communities popular among Hispanic families and found roughly 165 residences vacant among 1,600 houses and town houses. Shopkeepers and teachers of English as a second language also have noticed a drop-off.”*

*From: http://washingtontimes.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Prince William County police will begin enforcing a crackdown on illegal immigrants next week, and lawyers and civil rights advocates say they want immigrants to be prepared. “*

*From: http://www.wsls.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

AS TAX REVENUES FALL WITH THE PROPERTY VALUES IN THE COUNTY, THE CHALLENGE INTENSIFIES TO FUND THIS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN. WHILE THE COUNTY BOARD CHAIRMAN VOWS TO GIVE POLICE ALL THEY NEED TO DO THEIR JOBS, OTHERS WANT TO KNOW WHAT’S THE COST TO THE BUDGET AND THE COMMUNITY.”*

*From: http://www.wjla.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

On Friday, the Virginia Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights announced that it will convene in Woodbridge, Virginia on December 14th to gather a broad cross-section of perspectives from local officials, immigration specialists, and advocacy groups about the recent immigration resolution in Prince William County where recently, the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution making it more difficult for illegal immigrants to access county services.

The Prince William County leadership drafted the legislation to respond to the local populace’s concerns about overcrowded schools, difficulty getting emergency-room access, neighborhoods’ aesthetic appeal becoming tainted by the sight of old or corroded cars and trucks, litter in yards, houses becoming overcrowded, Spanish signage appearing everywhere, and the rise of street gangs. “*

One film covering the county’s decision to deny some services to undocumented residents has been viewed more than 40,000 times.

Filmmakers Eric Byler and Annabel Park have put more than 30 video clips on the issue online within the past month.”*

“Latino immigrants and lawyers in Prince William County are trying to calm community panic and spread accurate information, urging people to stay and defend their rights in the aftermath of new county measures aimed at keeping out illegal immigrants.

Radio stations and hotlines are fielding calls from immigrants asking whether it is safe to drive cars or visit public parks. Lawyers are advising parents to make emergency plans for their children and assets in case they are detained on suspicion of being in the country illegally. Volunteers are organizing meetings, and one woman, a U.S. citizen from El Salvador, has decided to launch a write-in candidacy for the Board of County Supervisors.”*

“Supporters of the anti-illegal immigration measure adopted in Prince William County last week have argued that its most important purpose is to send a powerful signal to the county’s mostly Latino illegal immigrants that they are no longer welcome.

It appears the message has already been received: Terrified that new policies will lead to mass deportations, illegal immigrants and the many legal immigrant relatives and friends who live with them have been moving out of Prince William ever since July, when county supervisors first approved the plan’s outline.”*

“Outside the Prince William County government complex, hundreds of Hispanic immigrants faced off against dozens of native-born residents in angry exchanges of contemptuous glances and frightened silence. When they did speak, it was in different languages.

Inside the packed chambers where the Board of County Supervisors held a marathon session known beautifully as “Citizens’ Time,” the emotions were strong, but more controlled. The reigning rhetorical device was pleading. Still, even when both sides spoke English, even when both sought to underscore their basic humanity, the divide was deep; the antagonism, palpable.

For nearly 12 hours Tuesday into Wednesday before the county supervisors voted unanimously to cut off services to illegal immigrants in every way they could legally get away with, immigrants begged to be considered equals who have a right to be here simply because they are here.”*

“Roughly 2,000 protestors swamped the McCoart Building in Woodbridge on Tuesday, where the Prince William Board of County Supervisors was preparing to take action on illegal immigration.

The crowd, made up predominately of Latinos opposed to the resolution, poured across the lawn, wearing green t-shirts proclaiming “Not with my taxes. Not in my name. Rescind the resolution.”

On the other side of the parking lot, 100 or so crackdown supporters glared over at them and at times, the two groups had verbal clashes.
“Go back where you came from! Get out of here!” a man yelled at a Latino woman as she passed.”*

Washington, DC, October 10, 2007”¦Latinos in Prince William County and the Woodbridge Workers’ Committee filed a lawsuit against Prince William County, its Board of Supervisors, the County Executive and the Police Chief seeking declaratory and injunctive relief to halt its implementation and enforcement of its recently passed anti-immigrant resolution, Resolution 07-609.

The lawsuit was filed by Howrey LLP, the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (PRLDEF) and the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs.

On July 10, 2007, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors passed Resolution 07-609 which grants local police broad authority to inquire into the immigration status of individuals, authorizes county-level employees to gather, maintain and share information regarding the immigration status of individuals seeking public benefits, and may limit county services that immigrants receive.

The lawsuit, filed today in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, claims violations of the U.S. Constitution, federal statutes, and the laws of Virginia and requests declaratory and injunctive relief to halt its implementation and enforcement. The complaint was brought on behalf of 16 individuals and their minor children as well as the Woodbridge Workers’ Committee. The complaint alleges that the Resolution is an unconstitutional attempt to circumvent the federal government’s authority to regulate immigration and that it enacts a discriminatory scheme in violation of the Equal Protection Clause to the United States Constitution.

“This ordinance, which expresses the worst instincts of a few in the county, is destroying the basic fabric of community life,” said Cesar Perales, PRLDEF President and General Counsel. “Latino children should be taught to trust police. Not to fear they might take their parents away.”

Howrey LLP is one of Washington, DC’s top firms noted for its strong litigation practice. Partners John Nields, former President of the DC Bar and Christina Guerola Sarchio, incoming Vice President for External Affairs of the Hispanic National Bar Association and immediate Past President of the DC Hispanic Bar, will lead the effort.

Commenting on the case, Sarchio said, “the governing body of Prince William County has taken it upon itself to devise a way to handle immigrants in their community in a way that goes against the U.S. Constitution and federal law. It infringes upon Congress’ power to regulate immigration, a power unquestionably reserved to the Federal government. Putting aside the fact that all of our ancestors were immigrants at one point, the action the PWC Board of Supervisors has taken here is discriminatory and illegal.”

“This Resolution demonstrates a disturbing animus toward immigrants that contradicts what America is, a nation of immigrants,,” said Laura E. Varela, Director of the Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project at the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. “The Resolution promotes racial profiling and is causing a great deal of fear and unrest among both U.S. citizens and immigrant residents who live in Prince William County.”

The Washington Lawyers’ Committee, which joins Howrey in the suit, has for more than 35 years provided legal services to address issues of discrimination in the areas of equal employment, fair housing, public accommodations, public education, asylum and refugee rights, and disability rights. The Committee often teams with Howrey on community matters.

PRLDEF has previously brought legal challenges to such legislative acts and ordinances based on violations of the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment, and, long-standing federal preemption principles.

For updates, please consult http://www.stoppwc.org.

##

Founded in 1956, Howrey LLP is an international law firm with over 680 attorneys and more than 50 economic, financial, and regulatory consultants. Howrey has offices in Washington, D.C.; Northern Virginia; Houston, Texas; New York, New York; Los Angeles, Irvine, East Palo Alto and San Francisco, California; Salt Lake City, Utah; Chicago, Illinois; London, England; Brussels, Belgium; Paris, France; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Munich, Germany; Madrid, Spain (Jan. 08) and Taipei, Taiwan. Howrey’s affiliates, The CapAnalysis Group, LLC (economic, financial, and litigation consultants) and Maxiam LLC (intellectual asset management specialists) team with Howrey attorneys as strategic business resources. An American Lawyer “A-List” firm, Howrey is one of the most frequently used law firms in the nation among Fortune 250 companies. As the winner of the 2003 Thomas L. Sager Award from the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, Howrey is committed to the ideals of diversity. The firm is equally committed to the tenets of pro bono and public service participation. Howrey’s “Advantage of Focus” makes it the clear choice for intellectual property, antitrust, and complex business dispute resolution. For more information, visit our website: http://www.howrey.com” title=”http://www.howrey.com\”>http://www.howrey.com” class=”autohyperlink” target=”_blank”>www.howrey.com”>http://www.howrey.com.

The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs for over 35 years (www.washlaw.org/history.htm) has represented both individuals and groups seeking to vindicate their civil rights. It has handled over 5,000 civil rights cases, in employment, housing, public accommodations, and other aspects of urban life. http://www.washlaw.org/

PRLDEF, established in 1972, has won landmark civil rights cases in education, housing, voting, migrant, immigrant, employment and other civil rights. PRLDEF has fought for the right of non-English speaking students to get a good education,
against housing discrimination in city-owned apartments, and to open up employment opportunities for all people. http://www.prldef.org

MEDIA CONTACT:

Kate Casey
Kate Casey Public Relations
(949)723-0520 Office
(310)339-4970 Cell
(949)209-1904 Fax
kate@katecasey.com

“José Marinay wears tailored suits, plays racquetball twice a week and displays photos of family-owned racehorses in his Annandale office. For years, the Colombian-born businessman thought he had little in common with the area’s illegal immigrants, often villagers from Mexico and Central America who sleep 10 to a house and push lawn mowers or scrub pots for a living.

But the battle in Prince William County, where a measure to curb illegal immigration has thrown the Latino community into turmoil, changed his mind.

“This situation has brought together people who never would have sat in one room before,” said Marinay, 50, who owns a real estate settlement company that has offices across Northern Virginia and a mainly Latino clientele. Since the measure was passed in July, he said, business has fallen 80 percent at his Manassas office, and he will probably close it. He also said a sense of growing hostility toward Latino immigrants has affected him”