Did Fairfax Immigration Report Migrate Past Nov. 6?

The Fairfax supervisor who asked county officials to determine the costs of illegal immigration says their analysis was kept under wraps until after the Nov. 6 elections.

It was mid-July when Supervisor Michael R. Frey (R-Sully) asked County Executive Anthony H. Griffin for a report on what services the county provided to undocumented aliens and what they cost. The study was delivered to Frey on Nov. 20 and made public on Monday.

For what was ostensibly four months of work, it didn't amount to much. Griffin said the only costs that could be quantified were at the county jail, where the sheriff will spend about $4 million in the current fiscal year to house undocumented prisoners.

But Frey says he's certain Griffin sat on the report, probably at the behest of Board Chairman Gerald E. Connolly (D) because of immigration's volatility as an election season issue.

"There's no question it wasn't going to come out before the election," said Frey, "because of the uncertainty of what it might say."

Connolly is out of the country and unavailable. Asked in an e-mail if he had any comment, Griffin replied: "No."

By Bill Turque |  November 29, 2007; 5:44 PM ET  | Category:  Bill Turque , Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Previous: Romney Becomes First Republican to Appear on Primary Ballot | Next: New Job for 'Macaca'

Posted by: Hector | November 29, 2007 9:03 PM

The comments to this entry are closed.