Herndon to Take Over Day-Laborer Center
posted 5:58 pm Wed August 29, 2007 - Herndon, VA
The town of Herndon plans to take over operating its day-laborer center because city officials cannot find a qualified group to manage the facility in accordance with newly passed restrictions, according to the Washington Post.
Herndon Mayor Stephen J. DeBenedittis told the Washington Post on Wednesday that the Town Council will take up the legislation next week.
The resolution would authorize the town to temporarily staff the site. While a vote is likely weeks away, the city reportedly has already begun the hiring process.
The day-laborer center has been a flashpoint of tensions over illegal immigration since it opened nearly two years ago as a place where people could find short-term work.
Reston Interfaith and its affiliate Project Hope & Harmony, the current operator of the center, provided job training and English lessons to laborers, but refused to check workers' legal status. Reston Interfaith runs the center on a grant provided by Fairfax County. The grant runs out September 14.
The Herndon Town Council recently required whatever group manages the site to check workers' legal status.
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