Prince William County, VA

Not far from Washington, DC, this county’s bedroom communities experienced a building boom in recent years that attracted many Hispanic workers, both legal and illegal.  Distressed by the growth in crime that many associated with the illegal immigrants among the workers, the county government took legal steps to control the influx of illegal workers through an activist policy for its local law enforcement agency.

The resultant publicity over these actions made Prince William County a battleground between those who favored an “open door” policy for immigrants and those who believe the federal government was helping to destroy their schools and communities by not actively enforcing federal immigration laws.  In this program, producer George Colburn talks with politicians, community activists, police, school board members and others engaged in the fight over a community’s future.