The 'I' Words: Citizenship Status Hot Topic in Alamance County

http://www.myfoxwghp.com/myfox/pages/Ho ... geId=1.1.1

Last Edited: Tuesday, 05 Aug 2008, 9:36 PM EDT
Created: Tuesday, 05 Aug 2008, 9:02 PM EDT


Related By CARON MYERS
FOX8 News

ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) – Every new county employee's immigration status will be cleared through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, according to county manager David Smith. This applies only to new hires, not existing employees.

Just mentioning the word 'immigration' in Alamance County can lead to fireworks, like this exchange between commissioner Larry Sharpe and Sheriff Terry Johnson at Monday's board meeting:

"I think the Sheriff's department is targeting people for minor violations and probably sending them, name and so forth to the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) people, when he (Sheriff Terry Johnson) stood before us and said he wouldn't do that," said commissioner Larry Sharpe alleged during Monday's board meeting. "I am highly upset."

"Let me tell you something," Johnson responded. "The Alamance County Sheriff's department has not profiled, and I think that's where you were coming from, has not profiled anybody."

Sheriff Johson said the record speaks for itself: In the past 30 days, Johnson said his department made 365 arrests, 30 of which were Hispanic.

Immigration became a hot topic two months ago when County Manager David Smith ordered an investigation into allegations the county's Health Director and her assistant identified Hispanic patients by a name other than what is in their medical record when writing work excuse notes.

"There's no one going through any medical records of anybody and as far as I know nobody ever has," said Smith. Tuesday, the State Bureau of Investigation told Smith no crimes were committed, but there were administrative probledeportation hearing. The exact date of the hearing has not been made publicms that need to be addressed.

From that investigation came information on 23-year-old Marxavi Angel Martinez, an illegal immigrant working as a librarian.

Martinez is in federal custody facing a deportation hearing. The exact date of the hearing has not been made public.