JAMES CITY COUNTY — A panel on how ICE policies and voter suppression are affecting Williamsburg, James City County and Virginia was the focus of the League of Women Voters-Williamsburg Area’s annual meeting Thursday night at Legacy Hall.
Panelists included Professor Stacy Kern-Scheerer, William & Mary Law School; James City County Police Chief Mark Jamison; and Patricia Bracknell, President, Chamber for Hispanic Progress. The moderator was Monty Mason, Senior Director of Community Affairs and Partnerships at William and Mary.
Following opening remarks from each panelist, a question-and-answer session was opened to the audience.
As Director of the Immigration Clinic and Clinical Professor of Law at William & Mary Law School, Kern-Scheerer and her students provide pro bono legal representation to immigrant victims of crime and domestic violence, as well as those seeking asylum and applying for lawful permanent residency and citizenship. The League said she discussed how the immigration court works, as well as recent trends, including expedited removal policies and detention without the possibility of bond.
“It’s a very disheartening time for the rule of law,” she said.
Patricia Lerma Bracknell has had a career spanning over 25 years in government service, commercial operations and social entrepreneurship, and is the Founder and CEO of the Chamber for Hispanic Progress, which has been instrumental in forming strategic partnerships with cities like Norfolk to provide grants that empower communities to thrive responsibly, according to the League of Women Voters.
“One of my biggest concerns is that ICE agents are violating human dignity,” Bracknell said, adding that fear in the community results in people not going to doctor appointments, church, and not calling the police.
“We are pro ‘just immigration practices,’” Bracknell said, adding that Latinos contribute $4 trillion to the economy and are professionals in the community.
The League said James City County Police Chief Mark Jamison explained police procedures in James City County.
“One of the things we value most is open transparency and communication with the community,” he said, noting immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility, not a local one.
To that end, Jamison said the department is not involved in seeking out individuals or asking about immigration status at routine stops. He added that JCCPD has declined to be part of the ICE Warrant Officer Program.
“One of the most important things voters can do is become informed about these issues and the League is always working on that,” said League of Women Voters-Williamsburg Area President Susan Bivins.
“We learned about a topic which there is probably little personal knowledge or experience. We were also able to learn about the human impact and the reminder that we ignore this issue at the risk of losing our humanity. And finally, the relief that this has not actually been much of a law enforcement problem in JCC or Williamsburg,” Added audience member Susan Carron.
To those who wanted to know what they could do to help, Bracknell suggested they get involved with the immigration community, and Kern-Scheerer recommended calling state legislatures.
