9500 Liberty documents the first time in U.S. history that an Arizona-style immigration law was actually implemented—and the surprising grassroots movement that rose up to repeal it.
Racial tension and threats of violence erupt when Prince William County, Virginia adopts a law requiring the police to question people who appear to be undocumented immigrants. Supporters of the law ride a wave of hysteria to an election victory. But many reconsider when the local economy feels the impact of a sudden exodus of workers, consumers, and business owners. Despite fears of reprisal, a group of concerned citizens launches a “virtual resistance” using social media, setting up a final showdown with the law’s ferocious advocates.
Prince William County, Virginia’s immigration culture war began in July of 2007 when the Board of County Supervisors suddenly adopted a regulation requiring police officers to question people they have “probable cause” to suspect is an undocumented immigrant. Filmmakers Annabel Park, Eric Byler, and Jeff Man began filming events in August, and in October they began releasing raw footage on YouTube, inviting residents of the county to add their voice to what became the world’s first “interactive documentary.” The feature film, which was released in theaters in May of 2010, provides an inside look at how ordinary citizens used new media tools to respond to intimidation and other extreme political tactics and regain control of their county government.
The “probable cause” mandate in Prince William County was repealed after two months of implementation when citizens joined forces across party lines and across cultures to point out the negative impact the law was having on the local economy, the tax increases it had caused, and the threat of expensive law suits that would further burden the county’s taxpayers. To make matters worse, after 15 years of falling crime rates, Prince William County saw an increase in crime during the year of its immigration culture war. The local economy and public safety have both improved since the repeal of the controversial “probable cause” mandate.
The Prince William County law, Arizona’s SB 1070, and Alabama’s HB 56 were all originally drafted by an anti-immigration lobbying firm in Washington DC called the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). One of FAIR’s top lawyers provides a dramatic moment in “9500 Liberty” when he proclaims himself the “mad scientist” and Prince William County his “field study.” Byler and Park broke the story by releasing this footage on YouTube in April of 2008. The law was repealed not long afterward.
Directors Annabel Park and Eric Byler are also known as founding members of Coffee Party USA, a non-partisan grassroots organization that is reengaging America’s silent majority by promoting fact-based and solutions-oriented civic participation, with an emphasis on civility, and respect for diverse opinions and diverse cultures.
God bless you guys. You are doing amazing work. I saw Eric Byler and the documentary 9500 Liberty here at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, NE and since then have been following this debate closely. The work you are doing will make a huge difference in bridging the gap between the general public and the honest facts concerning immigration and immigration reform. You are making it one step closer to a honest, fair and effective reform of federal immigration policies.