DECISIONS, DECISIONS

County Police Forward New Immigration

Policy to Leggett for Approval

Montgomery County Police Chief Thomas Manger has forwarded a new immigration policy to County Executive Ike Leggett for approval. But there's been no public response from Mr. Leggett yet. The clock is ticking, and the public's safety hangs in the balance with each passing minute. A decision must be made.

The problem for Mr. Leggett is that the public is demanding this new policy - which would allow an examination of immigration status when an arrest is made for violent crimes - but Leggett's strongest allies oppose it.

I am sure many of those people and organizations started out with good intentions. But the situation is changing rapidly and dramatically.

Now, after the deaths of an innocent boy and senior citizen, county residents appear to be shifting towards a stronger illegal immigration position. This is putting Leggett and his fellow Democrats in a weak position, as they are now out of sync with many of their own voters.

The new police policy is a step in the right direction. One interesting outcome of the controversial policy in Prince William County was that the county police found it advantageous in breaking up human trafficking rings. So these types of policies can also assist in cracking down on international forced prostitution rings, and other violence against women that is a horrific problem here and around the world. It's also important that domestic violence victims know that they can report their abusers to the police without fear of deportation.

And there is quite a bit of overreaction by those on the left, in regards to the new policy. In practice, it would never affect most immigrants; only those arrested in relation to violent crimes. Therefore, I believe it will have a broad spectrum of support.

Will Mr. Leggett respond to the public, and thereby betray his closest allies among liberal Latino groups? Or will he cave to political pressure, and face the consequences in the 2010 election?

This is going to be one of the most interesting Montgomery County moments of 2009.