Thread: ALIPAC: North Carolina residents gather to support 287 (g)

North Carolina residents gather to support 287 (g)

Pro-immigration groups organize counter protest in response to recent allegations against sheriff

by Margeaux Corby, April 8, 2009

Protesters gathered on 100 block of Maple Street this afternoon to show support for Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson and 287 (g).

Alamance County resident Chad Ward said he was satisfied with Chief Deputy Tim Britt's explanation of traffic stop data inconsistencies at Monday's county commissioners meeting.


Sammy Moser said that the most recent Burlington fatal car accident involving an alleged illegal alien is just another reason to support local enforcement of immigration laws.

Patricia Stevens, Burlington resident for the last 25 years, said that all races must "respect the proper channels of authority before coming to America."

North Carolina residents held up signs and waved American flags in support of 287 (g).

Alamance County residents and concerned North Carolinians gathered outside the Alamance County Sherriff's department in downtown Graham Wednesday afternoon in support of Sheriff Terry Johnson and the county's current immigration enforcement program, 287 (g).

"We feel like it helps protect our citizens, American citizens, and it shows support for law enforcement," said Judy Patterson, who lives in Rutherford County but drove to Graham to publicly support 287 (g). "It shows the need for law enforcement and enforcing immigration law, which we do not do."

The counter protest was organized by the Raleigh-based Pro Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Groups Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC), N.C. Voice and N.C. Listen.

The group held signs and waved American flags on the 100 block of Maple St. Wednesday afternoon.

"I work with a lot of victim's family members that represent the thousands of Americans that are losing their lives each year through the criminal actions of illegal aliens," said William Gheen, president of ALIPAC. "What they tell me is that when they find out their loved ones were killed by an illegal alien and then they find out that there is practically no significant border security or immigration enforcement going on in our country, at this time, they are enraged and feel very betrayed."

Protesters were rallying in response to the most recent reports that Johnson underreported the number of Hispanic drivers stopped in the last four years at a February county commissioners meeting.

Johnson had presented the numbers to the county commissioners in order to demonstrate that the sheriff's office was not racially profiling or taking advantage of its power to enforce federal immigration laws under 287 (g).

Johnson had reported 494 Hispanic drivers were stopped between 2004 and 2008. But Elon political science professor Laura Roselle's independent research revealed the actual number of Hispanic drivers stopped in the same time period was 1,344.

Roselle said she conducted her research because she was frustrated with the unresponsiveness of the sheriff's office and concerned about thier lack of disclosure about the 287 (g) program.

"The power was arrogant," Roselle said. "Those in power were arrogant."

At Monday's county commissioners meeting, chief deputy Tim Britt addressed the allegations, saying the inconsistencies had been discovered back in March and a new system was already being implemented.

"We certainly don't have anything to hide, this was not by design or intentional," Britt said. "It was simply an error."

Chad Ward, an Alamance County citizen, said he was pleased with the sheriff department's address and proposal presented at Monday's meeting.

"I feel like Mr. Johnson and Mr. Britt explained the problems," Ward said. "They came forward about it and were honest about it and I'm pretty confident the problem is resolved at this point."

According to Gheen, Roselle and other faculty at Elon University critical of 287 (g) are not aware of illegal immigration realities.

"Over at Elon University, up in the ivory towers as we call them, are people that have spent their lives in institutions instead of out in the real world," Gheen said. "They have some rather fanciful ideas about not enforcing our immigration laws. There's been some real elitist stuff coming out of Elon."

Gheen reiterated that he did not believe all illegal aliens were criminals and killers but said 287 (g) did save lives and property, as well as reduce crime rates.

He referred to the 2005 Zogby International poll that found 81 percent of Americans favor local police enforcing immigration laws.

"I am the vox populi. I am the voice of the people," Gheen said. "In my view, the wisdom of 80 plus percent of Americans is superior to the radical views of some Elon employees."

Some protestors also referred to a fatal car accident that occurred last weekend as another reason for their support of 287 (g).

"Through the last four or five years, I have seen several news articles where this very same thing happened," said Sammy Moser, an Alamance County resident for 69 years. "Where innocent people lost their lives due to illegal Hispanics driving on our highways (and) causing accidents. It's just so tragic."

Lidia Monica Lopez, 41, was charged with the death of a 43-year-old man who was killed while riding his motorcycle in downtown Burlington last Sunday.

She was cited last summer for driving without an operator's license and is from Mexico.

Sheriff's department spokesman Randy Jones said Lopez was not arrested and processed through the 287 (g) program in the summer because the ticketing officer remembered she had some form of identification.

"When you put people in society that don't belong here and try to mingle them in and (they) don't have (the) right to be in our nation, it compounds the problem," said Alamance County Commissioner Tim Sutton in reference to the fatal incident. "The argument has finally come home."

http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=2028


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They say ALIPAC is pro immigration? How did that happen?

Originally Posted by Bowman

They say ALIPAC is pro immigration? How did that happen?

the article says

The counter protest was organized by the Raleigh-based Pro Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Groups Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC), N.C. Voice and N.C. Listen.

did I miss something?

W

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

Pro-immigration groups organize counter protest in response to recent allegations against sheriff

They are talking about ALIPAC right? They identify ALIPAC as the counter protesters.

Originally Posted by Bowman

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

Pro-immigration groups organize counter protest in response to recent allegations against sheriff

They are talking about ALIPAC right?

That heading is not very clear, but they are talking about our opposition I think.

W

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

Originally Posted by Bowman

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

Pro-immigration groups organize counter protest in response to recent allegations against sheriff

They are talking about ALIPAC right?

That heading is not very clear, but they are talking about our opposition I think.

W

The only opposition mentioned in the article was the Professor, and she was not protesting.

Maybe they are finally admitting that ALIPAC is pro (legal) immigration? I know shocks the heck out of me also.

"I am the vox populi. I am the voice of the people," Gheen said. "In my view, the wisdom of 80 plus percent of Americans is superior to the radical views of some Elon employees."

Eighty plus percent - Listening Obama? Congress? Thats 80+ % of the American people that you represent.

Great article. Thanks William, and all who attended to support 287g.

Originally Posted by builditnow

"I am the vox populi. I am the voice of the people," Gheen said. "In my view, the wisdom of 80 plus percent of Americans is superior to the radical views of some Elon employees."

Eighty plus percent - Listening Obama? Congress? Thats 80+ % of the American people that you represent.

Great article. Thanks William, and all who attended to support 287g.

Don't waste your keystrokes, builditnow, the majority of congress and the President arent' worthy of your efforts. They are traitors with an unAmerican agenda. This President we have is not a President, he's a puppet with no backbone to uphold our laws.

Added to Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-4118--0-0.html

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