The WashPo reports today:
Pr. William Broadens Citizenship Checks
Everyone arrested in Prince William County will have his or her name run through a federal database to determine citizenship status, even if the person is not suspected of being in the country illegally, according to a draft of the county’s revised illegal-immigration policy.
. . .
Chairman Corey A. Stewart (R-At Large), who worked with the police department and county attorney to develop the wording in the general order, said he is happy with the changes.
“It still has the strength of the old policy and is more legally defensible,” he said, adding that officers can still make immigration checks if they have questions about someone’s identity.
“The revision also helps to defend us against unwarranted charges of racial profiling,” Stewart said. “Every time someone is arrested, no matter who they are, they will be checked.”
. . .
The policy would allow officers to question a suspect before an arrest if they have “reasonable articulable suspicion” that the person has provided a fake ID or lacks proper identification.
Finally, the media understands and gets it right! PWC has not softened its position on illegal aliens one bit. Heck, they even provide a link to a copy of the county’s new policy. The bottom line? Police officers can still inquire as to someone’s status prior to arrest and the standard to do so has been lowered from “probable cause” to “reasonable articulable suspicion.” Plus everyone arrested will now have their status checked, not just those for whom they have “probable cause.”
Filed under: Immigration, Media, Prince William County Politics
