Officials in James City County are looking at the possibility of denying county services to illegal immigrants.

A proposal by County Supervisor Bruce Goodson also would give local police the enforcement powers of federal immigration officers. Although James City County Police Chief Emmett Harmon says he believes tracking down illegal immigrants is a federal issue.

At Goodson's request, the county attorney is drafting such an ordinance. Prince William and Loudoun counties recently approved similar legislation. It has drawn statewide attention for their restrictive provisions on illegal immigrants, including verifying someone's legal status before providing services.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia plans to monitor James City's actions. Executive Director Kent Willis says localities must give some services to everyone, such as emergency medical care.

And he says it's already against the law to provide certain services to illegal residents, such as federal housing subsidies. Willis says in between, there's a wide gray area of government aid.