Illegal immigration policy sought: Supervisors want subcommittee to help shape position, rules

WINCHESTER -- The Frederick County Board of Supervisors has asked a subcommittee to help shape its position and policies on illegal immigration.

Specifically, according to a memo from County Administrator John R. Riley Jr., officials want to determine if Frederick is breaking federal or state laws through its hiring practices.

Also to be reviewed is whether "there are areas where the county can require proof of citizenship in order to receive a service, license, or permit," the memo says.

The supervisors' code and ordinance committee is slated to discuss the issue Monday.

"If you're like me, you receive a lot of inquiries on a regular basis about Frederick County and should we, have we, done something about this issue," Board of Supervisors Chairman Richard C. Shickle said to his colleagues during an Aug. 11 board meeting.

Shickle supported a review of hiring practices and asked what has or could be done "to keep from hiring firms or contractors who indeed hire illegals."

Supervisors are revisiting the issue. In 2007, a memo was circulated after county departments were polled for specifics on how their services were used by illegal immigrants.

Many, such as the library system, fire and rescue, and emergency communications departments, said they don't keep track.

The Department of Health and school system are prohibited from asking. The Division of Court Services and regional jail reported they have active methods for determining status.

County officials completed an updated memo in July in response to debate over divisive immigration legislation passed, and ultimately challenged, in Arizona.

The memo includes a list of actions taken by other localities nationwide and bullet-point suggestions from a report by conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation titled "Controlling Illegal Immigration -- State and Local Governments Must Do More."

The county's memo also poses questions to the Board of Supervisors and outlines challenges of policies dealing with illegal immigration.

A policy requiring residents to show proof of immigration status to receive county services "would need to be implemented in a fair and impartial manner in order that the county can avoid being perceived as a community that discriminates," the memo says.
Copies of related local and state code also were provided.

Among the questions posed in the memo for supervisors to consider are whether to restrict illegal immigrants' use of library services and parks and recreation programs, and whether to restrict certain licenses.

At the August meeting, Supervisor Christopher Collins said a better understanding of existing legislation would help frame the local debate.

"It behooves us as a governing body to look at what's going on with immigration laws, because they are confusing, and the federal government has different interpretations of what their own laws are," he said. "I think it's a good idea to at least have a, 'Here's what we can do as a county, here's what we can do as a state, and here's what's going on in other places.'"

Riley's recent memo states that "the board is interested [in] only those items that localities are enabled to address and enforce."

Supervisor Gary Lofton, chairman of the code and ordinance committee, could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The committee's meeting is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Monday in the first floor conference room at the county administration building, 107 N. Kent St., Winchester.

http://www.nvdaily.com/news/2010/10/illegal-immigration-policy-sought.php