Prince William County police will begin enforcing a new illegal-immigration crackdown Monday after every officer has completed training.
Officers will check the legal status of people stopped for driving violations or misdemeanor offenses and begin deportation proceedings against illegal immigrants wanted by federal authorities.
The policy survived months of critiques and a failed lawsuit by immigrant groups who said it would result in discrimination or racial profiling.
“We are committed to implementing our new role in immigration enforcement in a fair, lawful and reasonable manner,” Police Chief Charlie Deane said Monday, stressing in his announcement that the county was taking on a new role.
“Immigration enforcement is primarily a federal function and responsibility,” he said. “However, we will enforce federal immigration laws within the boundaries of our authority.”
The training focused onthe limitations of local police authority, the detection of false documents and intensive instruction on avoiding illegal racial profiling.
“This is going to make the community safer and we’re keeping our promise to the people that we are going to do something about illegal immigration,” Prince William County Chairman Corey Stewart, a champion of the effort, told The Examiner Monday.
The immigrant community criticized the crackdown Monday, saying that despite police assurances, the policy will inevitably result in discriminatory enforcement and racial profiling.
“I think that people already are on guard to avoid any contact with the police department, both in terms of being careful about driving and not reporting crimes,” said Nancy Lyall, a coordinator of the immigrant group Mexicans Without Borders. “I believe there are officers on the police force who will use this resolution to enforce some of their own biases and that is where the system is going to break down.”
Police leaders said they prepared training to address the inevitable public concerns.
“We are ready,” Assistant Chief Barry Barnard said. “We certainly have done everything we can reasonably to prepare [the officers], to give them the background and training they need.”
Supervisors proposed the crackdown in June and unanimously approved the policy at an Oct. 16 hearing that lasted more than 12 hours as about 400 people testified, mostly immigrants.
