Some people should be out of a job

Check out the quotes in the story "Are the suburban counties inviting terrorists?"

An official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said jurisdictions that fail to check the immigration status of people receiving tax-funded rent subsidies are opening the door to terrorists.

"Those are the vulnerabilities that people have exploited in the past to commit acts of terrorism," said ICE spokesman Garrison K. Courtney.

The Washington Times first reported last week that Arlington and Montgomery counties are the only jurisdictions in the metropolitan area that do not perform the immigration check, creating a loophole that allows illegal aliens to receive county rent assistance. [See "Illegals escape subsidy scrutiny" and the earlier "Sanctuaries for crime"]

Officials in Montgomery and Arlington counties defended their hands-off policy, saying that catching illegal immigrants isn't their responsibility.

"It is the federal government's role to check the borders and monitor for illegal aliens. It isn't my job," said Barbara Favola, Democrat and chairman of the Arlington County Board... Miss Favola also said an immigration check would be insulting to people seeking aid dollars. "We really work at developing a trust level with all our residents in Arlington," she said. "I want to be a friendly and welcoming place, period - to anyone who comes within our borders."

..."We are not in the immigration business," [a spokesman for Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan] said. "If the federal immigration service needs more staff, they need to lobby Congress for more staff, not rely on local governments to do [the job]..."

"Where there is no federal requirement," he said, "we adopt the position that we are in the service business and we do not want to impede the delivery of those services."

Help for Ms. Faviola might be on the way: "For [Arlington] County Board & School Board: [GOP] nominees or endorsees will be selected at an Arlington Republican canvass election, to be held Monday, May 10..." That's assuming, of course, that a Republican can be found who will do his job.

The page "Montgomery County Executive Encourages Illegal Immigration, Charges FAIR" has a lot more information on Douglas Duncan, who is truly a supporter of illegal immigration.

Immigration2003 · Mon, 04/12/2004 - 18:37 · · Importance: 1