Thread: NC: Mecklenburg County Sheriff Upset About Immigration Bill

Mecklenburg County Sheriff Upset About Immigration Bill Failure

POSTED: 5:47 pm EDT June 29, 2007
UPDATED: 6:34 pm EDT June 29, 2007

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Mecklenburg County Sheriff Jim Pendergraph is frustrated after the Senate essentially killed an immigration overhaul bill. It would have offered citizenship to millions of immigrants and beefed up border security.

Pendergraph said he’s disappointed the federal government still can't agree on how to solve the country's immigration problem. But he said he'll continue to do his part by enforcing the law at the county jail. That's where a handful of Pendergraph's deputies get to act as immigration agents. They get to ask inmates what country they're from and check their nationality.

"If they're illegal aliens and have violated certain laws, those are going to be marked for deportation. I'll continue that, and I'm talking to every sheriff I can to get involved in this program and many are. So, we'll keep doing our job enforcing the laws that we already have in the books, and hopefully at some point, congress can come to some agreement on what needs to be done in this country," he said.

We checked with Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officials in Washington, D.C. They said since October of last year, about 1,500 illegal immigrants have been identified across North Carolina jails. They’ve either been deported or are set to go before an immigration judge.

Mecklenburg, Gaston and Alamance are the only North Carolina counties that have the ICE program. Many more, including Cabarrus, Iredell, York, and Union, could soon join in.
Copyright 2007 by WSOCTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/13598098/detail.html

If they're illegal aliens and have violated certain laws, those are going to be marked for deportation

.

Say, what??? If they are illegal aliens and they're in North Carolina they have broken the law. Do they have to commit a second offense before they are eligible for deportation?

Someone tell the Sherrif the bill would've amnestied the Fort Dix
Six & he could not deport them for a lengthy rap sheet. Is that a
better system than 287g?

Letter sent to Sheriff Pendergraph, Mecklenberg Co., North Carolina:

Dear Sheriff Pendergraph:

I am dismayed by your comments to WSOCTV stating you were disappointed that the Grand Compromise for Amnesty was soundly rejected. Passage of this bill would have been disastrous to America and would have given 20 million illegal aliens legal standing. And never can our Congress ever be allowed to pass a bill into legislation that gives American citizenship to illegal aliens. This flaw alone in the bill would destroy the rule of law that America was founded on. There were dozens of other serious flaws in the bill, which I would be interested in discussing with you. That being said, I do commend you and your officers in carrying out the provisions of the federal 287(g) program in Mecklenberg County. This program is making a huge difference at the local level in combating illegal alien lawbreakers and criminals. I am advocating that Iredell County adopt this program, as well.

Thank you for your good work in combating the invasion of illegal aliens that is destructive to all aspects of Mecklenberg County, the state of North Carolina and our great country. But, please, do not be disappointed that the Grand Amnesty Plan failed. I have include a few statements released by Senators after defeat of this bill for your review:

“I opposed the Senate immigration bill because it rushed to legalize millions of illegal aliens, which is not the urgent matter at hand. We must first focus on securing our border and enforcing our laws. We are a nation of laws – it’s time we act like it!â€

He's just like Michael Chertoff! Did you see him on TV saying something like, "We will enforce our nations laws even if it means breaking up families ect..." Give me a break! Do your job you were hired for and stop dragging your feet.

Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC) will keep him in line! I believe she represents Mecklenburg.