Virginia Panel Rejects Detention Center for Illegal Immigrants
Protesters Tuesday in Manassas, Va., as Prince William County officials took on illegal immigration issues.
By IAN URBINA/Jay Paul for The New York Times
Published: October 17, 2007
RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 16 — A Virginia state panel on Tuesday rejected a controversial proposal to create the country’s first state-run facility where illegal immigrants arrested for certain crimes could be held until federal officials deport them or while awaiting trial.
A state panel co-chaired by State Delegate David B. Albo weighed in on illegal immigration issues.
Instead, the panel recommended that the state provide additional money so local officials could build more jail space to house immigrants awaiting deportation. It also called on local jail officials to check the immigration status of all inmates and deny bail to most illegal immigrants who committed crimes.
In recent years, Virginia has become a testing ground for some of the strictest policies in the nation to curb illegal immigration.
This week, officials in Prince William County, Va., were weighing proposals to deny county services to illegal immigrants and to direct the police to jail those immigrants who could not show documentation proving they were in the United States legally.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/17/us/17prison.html?em&ex=1192766400&en=5423b063958cb516&ei=5087%0A