September 14, 2019
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September 14, 2019 Table of Contents About ACLU People Power Fairfax ................................................................................................................................2 About Our Concerns and the Questionnaire ............................................................................................................2 Candidate Commitment to Reform Fairfax Policies on Immigration ........................................................3 Candidates Signing the Commitment ............................................................................................................................4 Candidate Questionnaire Responses............................................................................................................................5 CHAIR ......................................................................................................................... 5 BRADDOCK DISTRICT ............................................................................................. 10 DRANESVILLE DISTRICT ........................................................................................ 14 HUNTER MILL DISTRICT ......................................................................................... 18 LEE DISTRICT .......................................................................................................... 22 MASON DISTRICT .................................................................................................... 26 MOUNT VERNON DISTRICT ................................................................................... 30 PROVIDENCE DISTRICT ......................................................................................... 31 SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT ......................................................................................... 36 SULLY DISTRICT...................................................................................................... 40 1 About ACLU People Power Fairfax ACLU People Power Fairfax is an independent, grassroots organization advocating for equal justice for all members of our community including undocumented immigrants. There are over 1,600 People Power volunteers in Fairfax County. Our efforts are guided by ACLU’s Freedom Cities platform; they reflect the views of our members, not those of the ACLU of Virginia affiliate. Our group was a leader in the successful effort to convince the Fairfax Sheriff to require ICE to obtain a criminal judicial warrant to detain Fairfax inmates past their release date. We also successfully advocated for the Fairfax County School Board to adopt changes to its school policing policies that will help protect immigrants. For further information about the Fairfax People Power group, contact Diane Burkley Alejandro at [email protected], or visit us on Twitter @PeoplePowerFfx and Facebook @peoplepowerffx. For further information about ACLU People Power, visit https://peoplepower.org/. About Our Concerns and the Questionnaire Over 12,000 Fairfax County residents are currently in deportation proceedings, three times higher than in more populous Philadelphia or Manhattan. Because 85% of immigrant families are of mixed status, the impact on our community is profound. Most ICE enforcement is civil, and depends on voluntary cooperation by local authorities. Nationwide, about 70% of those facing deportation proceedings were turned over to ICE by state and local government . Change at the local level will go far to keep immigrants out of the current deportation pipeline. Additional information about our concerns can be found in our Statement of Position on Fairfax County’s Cooperation with ICE. As an aid to voters, we submitted a Questionnaire to each candidate for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (BOS) on the November general election ballot asking for their positions on reforming County policies that contribute to the capture and deportation of immigrants. We also offered BOS candidates the opportunity to sign a Candidate Commitment to Reform Fairfax Policies on Immigration. This Voter Guide presents their responses. Candidates for the Fairfax County School Board received a separate questionnaire and commitment tailored to school issues. As a non-partisan organization, we do not endorse or oppose any candidates. The responses below are verbatim. We have shortened some questions for presentation purposes here, but the linked questionnaires provide the full versions. 2 Candidate Commitment to Reform Fairfax Policies on Immigration Fairfax County’s promise to be “a welcoming and accepting community” has been severely tested by federal immigration “zero tolerance” enforcement. At present, there are over 12,000 Fairfax residents in deportation proceedings. While Fairfax cannot change federal law, it can change County policies, particularly in the area of law enforcement, that contribute to the indiscriminate capture and deportation of all undocumented immigrants. This will not only benefit the immigrant community but the Fairfax community at large, by restoring the trust that is so essential to successful community policing. I commit to the residents of Fairfax County that I will support the enactment of a binding County-wide policy to achieve three key objectives: 1. Require a judicial warrant to detain an immigrant based on ICE’s claim that the person has violated federal immigration law. 2. Limit information sharing with ICE to the maximum extent possible consistent with state and federal law. 3. Reduce arrests for minor offenses that are prompted by a lack of “proper” identification by expanding the types of documents that will be accepted. I will work with County officials and the community at large to develop a solution that protects immigrants and also takes into account other legitimate concerns. I will act promptly, with the goal of enacting a binding policy during 2020. Name: ____________________________ Signature __________________________ Date______________________________ ACLU People Power Fairfax is a grassroots group working to support equal justice for all Fairfax residents including undocumented immigrants. It does not endorse candidates and has made this Candidate Commitment available on a non-partisan basis to all candidates. 3 Candidates Signing the Commitment The following candidates signed the Commitment shown on page 3. Chair or Signed PPFX Candidate District Commitment Jeff McKay Chair Joseph Galdo James Walkinshaw Braddock Jason Remer Carey Campbell John Foust Dranesville Ed Martin Hunter Mill Walter Alcorn Lee Rodney Lusk Penelope Gross Mason Gary Aiken Mt. Vernon Daniel Storck Providence Dalia Palchik Linda Sperling Springfield Pat Herrity Kathy Smith Sully Srilekha Palle NOTE: Candidates who signed the Commitment were advised that they need not provide detailed responses to those questions that track the key provisions in the Commitment. These questions (#4 through #8) are indicated by an asterisk below. The full Questionnaires with responses are linked. 4 Candidate Questionnaire Responses CHAIR Responded to Questionnaire Did Not Respond Jeff McKay Joseph Galdo 1. BACKGROUND Question: How has your background prepared you to address and resolve issues unique to immigrant families? For background, I am a lifelong Fairfax County resident, proudly born and raised along the Route One Corridor. From an early age, my grandmother instilled in me the importance of helping others, especially those less fortunate than ourselves. Those teachings, combined with my own experiences growing up on Route One, are the reason why I ultimately sought public office, where I’ve served as Lee District Supervisor for the past 11+ years. I’m running for Chairman this year to build on the great successes we’ve had over that time and to push us forward with strong leadership and experience. I’m proud of Fairfax County and the community we’ve built together. Jeff McKay We’ve had tremendous successes, fought for progress, and moved Fairfax forward. Now more than ever, those values we’ve instilled and the work we’ve done are at risk. We need to fight for all residents and communities throughout our County. Ever since I was first elected, I’ve focused on two key progressive principles in every decision I’ve made: invest in people and celebrate our diversity. Doing so has made us a progressive national leader in education, job growth, innovative human services, and quality of life, while also ensuring we’re protecting our environment and fighting for affordable housing. I have the knowledge, experience, and relationships it takes to be a successful chairman, and I’m excited for the opportunity. 5 2. APPROACH TO OUTREACH Question: Because many immigrants fear any contact with government officials, what will you do to ensure that their voices are heard while protecting the anonymity of those who are undocumented? Establishing such lines of communication are critical. This is why I’ve worked hard to not only partner with nonprofits and organizations like People Power, but to stay in regular communication with them to help message with our immigrant community. As Supervisor, I have also always gone out to individuals to meet them in their communities rather Jeff McKay than wait for them to come to me. I will continue doing this, as well. Our immigrant community is a key component to Fairfax County’s success, and a strong partnership between elected officials like myself and that population must exist. Now more than ever, with the federal government attacking our immigrant community, it is