Questions for Brian Wrote:
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> Can illegal aliens get Virginia drivers licenses?
No.
> Do you believe the state government is doing
> enough to prevent document fraud?
I'm not aware of how prevalent it is, so I can't answer this.
> What kind of effort is made to verify legal status
> of recipients of welfare/assistance by state and
> local government? Is it enough?
All of the forms require a social security number and the forms clearly indicate that verification will be made. You can see the SNAP form, for example, at
http://www.dss.virginia.gov/files/division/bp/fs/intro_page/forms/032-03-0824-30-eng.pdf.
It says clearly there that the information provided will be vetted against a variety of sources, including USCIS. They ask for place of birth, citizenship status, etc.
I'm sure they could use more resources to do better vetting, but there are significant barriers to keep folks who should not be getting access to benefits from getting them. That doesn't mean there isn't fraud or abuse, but it's not like anybody who walks in the door gets handed a check.
> Should illegal aliens have access to county
> housing, yes or no?
No. If they get any housing assistance, it should be paid for by the feds.
> Should county magistrates grant bond to persons in
> the country illegally who have been arrested for
> dangerous crimes like assault or DUI?
I'm not aware that the magistrates are privy to immigration status when they make these determinations. I'm not aware that e-verify is available to them, and even if it is, it's not the state and local government's responsibility to enforce federal law. That's the fed's job.
> How much is too much for county schools to spend
> on ESOL? How adaptive should local schools be to
> linguistic and cultural concerns, in particular
> those from students or parents who are not here
> legally?
How much is too much? That's hard to say, but roughly I'd say more than the national average, adjusted for our locality. Immigration status doesn't matter when it comes to education - we're obligated under federal law (Supreme Court opinions) to educate everybody, including the kids of illegals who are also not citizens. Given that immigration is a federal responsibility, I've advocated that the feds reimburse localities with significant ESOL and illegal immigration populations so that taxpayers in those localities aren't forced to bear the entire burden of the fed's failed immigration policies.