Local Groups Hope North Carolina Will Follow Arizona’s Example
Updated: Apr. 27 6:32 pm
RALEIGH, N.C. -

Arizona recently passed a tough law to crack down on illegal immigrants. Now local groups hope North Carolina will do something similar.

When Arizona's new law goes into effect, it will make it a state crime to be in the country illegally. It will also allow local police to question you if they suspect you're in the country illegally.

"If the federal government is going to refuse to act, then I think the state has to do what it has to do to protect its own citizens," said Ron Woodard, the director of North Carolina Listen, a statewide group with about 2,500 members who oppose illegal immigration.

But Woodard doesn't think a bill like Arizona's would get far in North Carolina's legislature.

"I think legislation will be introduced," he said. "But if the Democratic leadership who is in charge at the state level does what they have historically done the last several years, you can introduce all the legislation you want. But if you refuse to let it come up for a vote in committee, the bill dies."

William Gheen, the head of Americans for Legal Immigration, told NBC 17 in an e-mail, "I believe the chances similar legislation will be filed here is over 95% likely from what lawmakers are telling me."

But others think North Carolina and other states will wait to see if Arizona's law survives legal challenges before trying something similar.

"My first reaction is: boy, this is unconstitutional. Second is: how are they ever going to do this?," said Tony Asion, the executive director of El Pueblo. "The reality is that there's an awful lot of American citizens that look Hispanic. Are we going to stop everyone?"

Even if North Carolina does not pass a similar law, Asion thinks immigrant communities here are already becoming more suspicious of police.

"Unfortunately for North Carolina it means fear. For a lot of undocumented folks in North Carolina... what they are saying is: ‘if I get robbed, if I get raped, if I am the victim of a crime, I'm certainly not going to call the police because I'm scared to death.'"

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