Illegal immigration is on track to be relegated to the periphery of the Fairfax County’s race for chairman of the Board of Supervisors as the sour economy and a $500 million budget crisis crowd out all other concerns.
And the parameters of the debate are likely to be far different from past years, with the Republican seeking the chairmanship, Pat Herrity, staking out a far more centrist position than GOP leaders in neighboring Prince William County and the town of Herndon. The illegal-immigration crackdown of Fairfax’s neighbors have been among the most aggressive in the nation.
Herrity on Thursday criticized as “mean-spirited” the policies of Prince William, which in fiscal 2008 turned over more suspected
illegal immigrants to federal authorities than any other government in the region. The measures led to an exodus of Hispanic residents.
“I don’t think they looked out for the legal immigrants,” Herrity said Thursday. “They were perceived as attacking immigrants period, versus making the strong distinction between illegal and legal.”
At the same time, he leveled charges of inaction at his own board. Herrity said illegal immigration has brought about “significant budget impacts,” and he criticized supervisors for taking years to begin combating illegal boarding houses.
Prince William Chairman Corey Stewart, a frequent critic of Fairfax’s more lenient posture on illegal immigration, called Herrity’s comments surprising and disappointing.
“He’s got to do what he thinks he’s got to do in order to win,” he said. “That’s kind of an ignorant statement to make, frankly.”
Fairfax County voters are too diverse — and not conservative enough — to elect a chairman who would implement Prince William’s immigration policies, said Dan Park, a Fairfax lawyer who represents defendants in immigration cases.
“I think Fairfax tends to be more fair-minded,” he said. “In my estimation, they are more progressive people and less conservative out here.”
Herrity’s opponent, Democrat Sharon Bulova, could not be reached Thursday.
