COURTLAND—The Board of Supervisors formally agreed earlier this week that illegal immigration is detrimental to the country, and unanimously approved a resolution calling on Congress to “move quickly to enact comprehensive reform of the current immigration laws.”

The draft was created after last month’s meeting, during which Ash Cutchin of Darden Point Road warned of a group of 200-plus illegal immigrants that were reportedly going to be housed at the old St. Paul’s College in Lawrenceville. At the time, many were children reportedly sent by their parents to escape poverty or gang-related terror and violence occurring in their native Central American countries. Cutchin’s expressed sympathy for the children. However, his concern is that if illegal immigrants are allowed to stay and even granted citizenship, they become a drain on resources.

“We already have over-crowded schools, over-worked deputies, over-crowded and broken highways and heavy spending on social services,” he said. “And these people will ultimately depend on our social and law enforcement infrastructure, which in return will increase taxes on our local citizens if the problem spreads to Southampton County; and Lawrenceville is not that far away.”

Supervisors Glen Updike and Ronnie West also gave their support to Cutchin’s concern before everyone was informed that the housing project was not going to happen. Nonetheless, the overall agreement was added as a topic in the July meeting. With that, County Administrator Mike Johnson had drafted a resolution for consideration.

Before the document came up last Monday evening, Cutchin spoke on the topic again during the public comment period. He suggested that the supervisors add a codicil to whatever statement they were considering. That addition pertains to what Cutchin called “anchor babies,” for want of a better term.

He defined them as any children of illegal immigrants born in the United States and automatically granted citizenship. In turn, these children later as teens or adults could file paperwork to bring their families stateside.

“They’re kind of coming here illegally,” said Cutchin. “I urge you to add another ‘therefore’ that you forbid ‘anchor babies.’”

West later proposed such a suggestion to the resolution and it was adopted.

Updike asked that the copies of the resolution be sent to elected officials.