People have a lot of opinions about illegal immigration, but there’s precious little data to back up their views. That’s about to change in Virginia. The Virginia State Crime Commission, according to the Associated Press, is establishing a task force to study the effect of illegal immigration on the state’s criminal justice system.
State lawmakers, frustrated with the federal government’s inaction on immigration reform, are taking on the issue. About 50 immigration-related bills were introduced during the 2007 General Assembly. “And each year, we still have almost no facts to base our decision upon,” said [Commission Chairman Kenneth Stolle, R-Virginia Beach].
Virginia is home to an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 illegal immigrants. The crime commission will will examine crimes by and against those immigrants and tabulate the financial impact of those crimes.
