Virginia’s State Crime Commission voted Tuesday to send legislators a series of proposed policies aimed at increasing the odds illegal immigrants would be caught and eventually deported.
Generally, the recommendations would give state and local law enforcement authorities more power and responsibility to check individuals’ immigration status and detain those found to be in the country illegally. The proposals will be considered when the General Assembly begins its session in January.
Recommended Stories
Commission members decided to limit a measure allowing local authorities to receive federal training and begin deportation proceedings against illegal aliens. The plan approved Wednesday would only allow police to arrest immigrants discovered while investigating violent, gang-related or drug crimes. If an officer stops a car for speeding, for example, any suspected aliens in the vehicle could not be held strictly based on their immigration status.
“This is a compromise because the immigrant community doesn’t like this new authority, because they think it leads to racial profiling,” said Del. David Albo, R-Springfield, co-chairman of the commission. “People like me like it because we want to have an aggressive stance against illegal immigrants.”
Other recommendations include denying bail to illegal immigrants, requiring that officers check the immigration status of any prisoner coming into their custody and encouraging localities to build extra jail space to house illegal immigrants awaiting deportation.
Albo and other members of the crime commission are hoping the recommendations will form a statewide policy on illegal immigration. Currently, counties have broad discretion in how to enforceimmigration laws. Loudoun and Prince William counties have sought to aggressively target illegal immigrants, while Fairfax County has taken a softer approach.
Fairfax County Board Chairman Gerald Connolly said last week that he wants to go after criminals, regardless of their immigration standing, rather than crafting policies expressly aimed at immigrants.
“We are going to focus on illegal activity, not a person’s status,” he said.
