Prince William County (web | news) , Va. - Prince William County's illegal immigration policy faces a major challenge before it's even two months old as supervisor Frank Principi reportedly wants to end immigrant police checks because of budget shortfalls.

Principi is the first member of the board of supervisors to challenge the enforcement element of the county's recent crackdown on illegal immigration. The crackdown was approved in October, when Principi was not on the board. The policy also denies some county services to illegal immigrants.

The idea is set to go before the county Tuesday and people are already weighing in.

One anti-change supporter, Board Chairman, Corey Stewart said, "I don't think we should be changing this, it's clearly working, let's leave well enough alone." Stewart emailed 2,500 supporters asking them to attend Tuesday's meeting, Katherine Gotthardt took a different view. "I think they need to start from scratch. Take care of this without raising taxes, without this resolution," she said.
People said there are fewer immigrants at certain places like one particular shopping center, implying the policy may have forced illegal immigrants away. But one supervisor said if the county can't afford enforcement, the program may be up for debate again.

Since the policy took effect in March, the county jail has become more crowded and police have asked for video cameras in patrol cars to protect officers from allegations of racial profiling.

One woman, whose family immigrated from the Netherlands and became legal citizens, doesn't like the face that thousands of people in Prince William County have chose an illegal route. "I feel sorry for the people, but the law is the law, and I'm sorry, but if I can do it, so can the others," said Bouwina Statzer.

She supports her county's illegal immigrant policy, but supervisors have cut $3 million budgeted for enforcement. One supervisor said that's reason to review the policy and some residents agree.

"If they don't have the money, I don't know how they're gonna get it," said Ted Williams. One resident said it's a bad situation. "It feels terrible, bad, scared, because you never know when a cop is going to pull you over and ask you for your papers."

Stewart said things are working, illegals are leaving and he said that shouldn't change. "We've been arresting them and handing them over to the federal government for deportation."

Supervisors voted last Tuesday to cut more than $3 million from the next budget that was to be allotted for the cameras and enforcement of the policy.

Repeated calls to Frank Principi were not returned.

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