NUESTRA CARTA A LA COMISION DE DERECHOS HUMANOS DEL PWC

OUR LETTER TO PWC HUMAN RIGHTS COMISSION

PETITION

To the Prince William County Human Rights Commission, we respectfully request to send a public recommendation to the County Board of supervisors in order to nullify or reject Mr. Stirrup resolution on immigration that was approved on July 10, 2007.

Woodbridge Workers Committee and Mexicanos sin Fronteras is asking the PWC Human Rights Commission to call on the PWC BOCS to immediately rescind the Stirrup resolution targeting the immigrant population in PWC. This resolution is a direct attack on the diversity of this county and incites divisions in the county along racial lines. It is in direct violation of the county’s own Human Rights Ordinance which was established to “ensure that protection and enforcement of human and civil rights for all people living and working in PWC”. This ordinance rightfully made no reference to immigration status and therefore this county should maintain the mandate of this ordinance. It specifically targets the Latino community and violates the human rights of all county residents in many ways.

By having PWC police engage in a memorandum of understanding with ICE it allows officers to question the citizenship status of all residents accused of a crime where there is probable cause that immigration laws are being violated. To implement such a measure, probable cause must be determined. What criteria will be set as probable cause? Will it be a person’s color, accent, or last name that will be used to establish this “probable cause”? This will drastically increase the tensions between the police and residents of color. People will be fearful of contacting the police regarding any crimes for fear that they may be questioned about citizenship status. This will severely diminish the police department’s ability to provide for public safety and increase the inclination of residents to take the law into their own hands because of their fear of the police.

• By requiring county officials from medical personnel to librarians to ask for citizenship documentation before providing county services is putting immigration policy into the hands of county employees. Immigration is a federal power and local jurisdictions do not have the authority to create immigration policy. Asking a person’s immigration status is discriminatory and unconstitutional.
• By denying certain residents of medical assistance puts the entire community at a health risk.
• This resolution will also severely increase racial division among the residents of the county by pitting citizens against non-citizens and creating an atmosphere of privilege for the citizen class.
• It will divide and destroy families by forcing the separation of citizen children from non-citizen parents and splitting apart families that are comprised of both citizen and non-citizens.
• This measure creates an authoritarian, apartheid like county that would require residents to carry and produce citizenship credentials in order to engage in their daily lives. It dehumanizes all of us.

This resolution is in direct conflict with the goals of the Human Rights Commission. We ask this Commission to recognize this attack on human rights in our county and take immediate action to get this measure rescinded.

Thank's