Critics of new crackdowns on Virginia’s illegal immigrants dominated the first public comment session of a state panel tasked with developing policies for an issue that remains contentious in Northern Virginia.
The Virginia Commission on Immigration drew more than 40 speakers at George Mason University in Fairfax on Thursday afternoon to discuss how state and local governments should enforce federal immigration laws, with most saying no new restrictions were needed. Another session at night drew a larger crowd.
Opening with “We are a nation of immigrants, all of us,” state Sen. John Watkins, R-Powhatan, said the panel was charged with addressing the problem of an inadequate federal immigration system without promoting division.
“There are problems, and people are recognizing we’ve got to address it, we’ve got to solve it without being anti-anybody,” said Watkins, the commission chairman.
The commission is holding five meetings across the state to gather a sense of public attitudes on the high-profile issue in Northern Virginia, where Prince William County supervisors approved a policy checking the legal status of everyone arrested on suspicion of a crime.
“People are afraid of communities changing,” and they should be encouraged to better understand how their community gains from changes, said Debra Lattanzi Shutika, a professor at George Mason University. She asked for the commission to promote an attitude that helps immigrants assimilate without being confrontational.
Natalia Ocampo, a Colombia native attending Northern Virginia Community College, said the higher, out-of-state tuition she pays discourages illegal immigrants to pursue their dreams of higher education and better jobs.
Supporters of anti-illegal immigration laws said they expected the night meeting would bring more balance, with some criticizing the meeting’s staging.
“This is a hotbed of the open borders crowd,” said Greg Letiecq, president of the anti-illegal immigration group Help Save Manassas. He derided the commission as having all the importance of “a gerbil spinning a wheel in his cage.”
Another illegal immigration critic, Michael McLaughlin, said the true extent of illegal immigration in Virginia is impossible to ascertain unless state agencies “remove all impediments we have on collecting reliable data.”
