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Illegal Immigration
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Sheriffs, U.S. join forces on migrants |
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Oct 17, 2007 - .S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole on Tuesday announced a partnership that would give local authorities the power to enforce federal immigration laws. The partnership between North Carolina sheriffs and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, made public at the N.C. Sheriffs' Association fall meeting at Carolina Beach, will give sheriff's offices around the state access to ICE resources. Exactly which resources has yet to be determined. The statewide partnership is the first of its kind in the country, Dole's office said. "I firmly believe that North Carolina can become a model for the nation on how to identify, apprehend and remove undocumented aliens who have self-identified themselves by committing crimes," Dole said in a prepared statement. Dole had met with sheriffs in August. Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell said that deputies in participating sheriff's offices will have limited authority over ICE resources to use when investigating cases that may involve illegal immigrants. "This is not just awholesale roundup of illegal aliens," Bizzell, president of the N.C. Sheriffs' Association, said in a telephone interview. "This is an opportunity for us to ID those illegal aliens ... who are ending up in our jails." The announced partnership comes nearly two months after Dole first stated her intention to seek more federal money to help counties eager to enforce federal immigration laws. Once trained, deputies from participating sheriff's offices would be able to check the immigration status of criminal suspects and begin deportation proceedings. A committee representing the N.C. Sheriffs' Association will meet soon with ICE officials to hash out what access local authorities will be given, Bizzell said. By Marion A Walker |
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Law reunited immigrant clan; bill would change it |
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May 28, 2007 - Pablo Baltazar was the first in his family to cross the Rio Grande, seeking a place where his children would never have to fight over morsels of meat in a watery stew, as he and his siblings had done on hungry nights.In the three decades since his crossing, all nine of his siblings followed, bringing spouses and children. The Baltazar clan, now too numerous to count, stretches from Eastern North Carolina, where its members started out working the fields, to Florida, Texas and Colorado. Their family ties to Pablo, who was granted legal residency in a 1986 amnesty, have helped nearly all of them become legal residents. "This is home," said Rubi Baltazar, one of Pablo's five children, all of whom grew up in rural Duplin County. "When I went to Mexico, I felt like, 'I don't belong over here.' " Now, some officials in Washington say it's time to stop "chain migration," which allows hundreds of thousands of immigrants a year -- many of them poor, uneducated or elderly -- to move legally into the United States. An immigration reform bill being debated in the Senate proposes abandoning the nation's longtime policy of giving preference to the extended family of legal residents. Instead, the proposal says, immigrants with education and professional skills should get the advantage. "It's almost random," U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez said of the current family-based immigration system. "We could be bringing in a lot of grandparents, but grandparents aren't filling jobs. ... We want to make sure people are coming in because of the skills they have for this country." The proposal would eliminate categories that gave preference to adult children and siblings of legal residents. It would place stricter limits on adult immigrants who want to bring in their parents. And, though it would still allow immigrants to bring spouses and minor children, it could increase the wait times -- already several years -- for those who are not U.S. citizens. A guest worker program for unskilled laborers would allow foreigners to spend six years in the United States, but their spouses and children would be allowed for only two years. By Kristin Collins and Barbara Barrett |
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Immigration bill would have big impact |
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May 19, 2007 - North Carolina businesses say that should the proposed immigration reform pass, they would have the labor they need to keep the state's economy humming. National estimates are that some 70 percent of illegal immigrants toil in low-skill jobs. In North Carolina, immigrants slop hogs, cut up chickens, frame houses, wash dishes, make beds and pick the cucumbers, melons and tobacco that sprout from much of the state's farmlands. Next week, the U.S. Senate will consider an immigration deal that farmers and business owners have cautiously welcomed, saying its provisions to legalize immigrants could relieve a broken labor system and protect loyal workers skittish about being deported. If the compromise reached this week between Senate Democrats and Republicans passes, it could have strong implications for North Carolina's work force, the industries it serves and the consumers who buy everything from pints of berries to pricey houses. "North Carolina has a huge stake in this, and a growing stake," said U.S. Rep. David Price, a Democrat from Chapel Hill. "How we handle immigration is a huge economic issue." For years, industry leaders and local farmers have been trekking to Capitol Hill to make their arguments about labor shortages. Basically, their argument is this: There aren't enough people in the country willing to do some jobs, and those from Latin America are good workers. "My experience with Hispanic labor has been exceptionally good," said Bundy Lane, who raises hogs in eastern North Carolina. He recalled that after Hurricane Floyd in 1999, his two Hispanic employees were the only ones who showed up to care for the pigs. They brought a pal who was willing to help, plus clothing and food for three days. By Barbara Barrett and Jack Hagel
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Legislators working to bring an immigration court |
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Aug 10, 2006 - From this week's Brunswick Beacon: North Carolina has the eighth highest illegal alien population, but does not have an immigration court, according to Rep. Sue Myrick (NC-9). Myrick and Rep. Mike McIntyre (NC-7) are advocating an immigration court in North Carolina. The closest immigration court to North Carolina is in Atlanta, according to District Attorney Rex Gore, who said he is in favor of an immigration court in North Carolina and its subsequent benefits for Brunswick County. “It relates to Brunswick County in that it would give us access to a court that is in our proximity,” Gore said. According to McIntyre, North Carolina is among the top 10 states in the country with the highest illegal alien populations with no immigration courts, which he says is “unacceptable.” By Caroline Curran
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State agencies may have to verify legal status of new employees |
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JUly 27, 2006 - State agencies would have to verify the legal status of all new employees under a bill given final approval in the General Assembly on Thursday night. The provision, sponsored in an amendment by Rep. George Cleveland, was added to a "technical corrections" measure. Cleveland's proposal passed 102-2 in the House. "We have to ensure that government agencies in the state of North Carolina do not hire illegal aliens," said Cleveland, R-Onslow. "It will set a good example for the rest of the employers in the state." New state employees already submit self-identification forms to the state, a process that Cleveland called a "farce." Under the new section, North Carolina state agencies, including the University of North Carolina and community college systems, would have to use a Department of Homeland Security verification process to confirm that the employee is lawfully present in the United States. - AP
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