Dole to focus on illegal immigration, fund raising
From Staff Reports
http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/po ... 79877.html

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole will be in Raleigh today to talk with sheriffs from Wake, Johnston, Chatham, Franklin and six other counties about illegal immigrants who commit crimes.
Dole is holding a series of conferences with sheriffs this month about a federal program to let deputies determine the legal status of immigrants and process those here illegally who are charged with crimes.

Kicking off the tour on Tuesday, Dole met with sheriffs from the western Piedmont. The sheriffs — from Catawba, Burke, Caldwell and Alexander counties — said they often see the same immigrants breaking laws across county lines, the Charlotte Observer reported. But deputies must travel to Charlotte to determine whether they are in the country legally.

"They simply don't have the money [to do this alone]," the Observer quoted Dole as saying. "They have had many frustrating problems because they just haven't had the tools."

Money from the federal program, Dole said, would let the four counties share a database housed in Catawba County.

The meeting in Raleigh today will take place at 3:50 p.m. at the Terry Sanford Federal Building and Courthouse on New Bern Avenue.

Dole's tour around the state coincides with a period of intense political fund raising, including major events in Raleigh, Winston-Salem and Charlotte. Dole faces re-election next year.

The Raleigh fund-raiser takes place tonight at the Angus Barn.

Dole, a Salisbury Republican, has raised $2.76 million this year and had $1.76 million on hand June 20, the end of the last campaign finance reporting period.

So far, she has no Democratic opposition. Several Democrats are looking at the race, including state Rep. Grier Martin of Raleigh, state Sen. Kay Hagan of Greensboro and former state Sen. Ted Kaplan of Winston-Salem.