How is this for good news Beach system for illegal workers would affect about 175 vendors we making progress?

In about a week, Beach officials will be given the authority to audit new contractors to ensure they don't hire illegal workers. But many of the details - including under what circumstances an investigation would be launched and what documents city officials will use to verify immigration status - remain unclear.

"It's not mapped out exactly how we would do it," City Attorney Les Lilley said.

The audits are part of guidelines announced by Beach officials and approved by the City Council last week. Vendors also will have to certify that they don't hire illegal immigrants.

The clauses will be included in all new city contracts for more than $50,000 and will affect about 175 vendors who perform construction, software development, janitorial and landscape management work for Virginia Beach.

The city has standards in place to deal with issues such as vendor complaints about the bidding process, but not immigration, said Joanne Griggs, Virginia Beach's auditor.

"This is new territory," Griggs said. "I would want to make sure that we have a very tight process so the outcome is fair to any individual living and working in this city."

Depending on the procedures, the city's four auditors might need some additional resources and training, Griggs said.

This is the second policy targeting illegal immigration that Virginia Beach has adopted since two teens were killed last spring by a drunken driver who was an illegal immigrant. The case drew national media attention, and anti-illegal-immigration advocacy groups pressed city officials for action.

In May, police officers began asking everybody they arrested whether they were in the country legally.

Virginia Beach Sheriff Paul Lanteigne said the new policy might be the reason for the increasing number of illegal immigrants in the city's jail. In May, the jail housed 23 illegal immigrants; by October there were 72 illegal immigrants reported, Lanteigne said.

Alicia Fernandez-Bobulinski, director of Hispanic outreach for the Making a Difference Foundation, said she has heard that officers are asking immigration status questions prior to making an arrest, in instances such as traffic stops.

"Faith is being lost," Fernandez-Bobulinski said. "The administration is saying one thing, and another thing is happening on the street."
http://hamptonroads.com/2008/01/beach-sy...

That's good, I lived in NoVA for a while and we where completely over run by them. Whenever I would go down to the Beach it fealt like I was back in America again (even though I lived 3 miles from the Capital) I'm glad that Virginia Beach won't become a third world city for a Little bit longer.

Seems like they are there