Thread: GOP Congress Members Want N.C. Action On Immigration

http://www.wral.com/apncnews/5287181/detail.html

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Five of North Carolina's seven Republican members of Congress want to cut off federal highway money to their state unless it makes it more difficult for illegal immigrants to get drivers licenses.

Reps. Sue Myrick of Charlotte, Walter Jones of Farmville and Charles Taylor of Brevard planned to introduce legislation Wednesday that could cut off $890 million in annual federal transportation money. The money represents about a quarter of North Carolina's annual $3.6 billion transportation budget.

"We are saying, 'If you want the federal money, than you are going to have to enforce the law,'" Jones said.

Reps. Patrick McHenry of Cherryville and Virginia Foxx of Banner Elk planned to join Myrick and Jones in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to promote the bill.

North Carolina's House delegation also includes Republican Reps. Howard Coble of Greensboro and Robin Hayes of Concord.

Critics say North Carolina has one of the nation's largest increases in illegal immigration in part because the state has looser drivers license requirements than those of other states.

North Carolina began using more computer checks and other security measures to guard against the use of fake IDs to obtain drivers licenses, said George Tatum, commissioner of the state Division of Motor Vehicles. It is against the law for people illegally in the United States to obtain a North Carolina drivers license.

Myrick wants to stop allowing immigrants to use Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers issued by the Internal Revenue Service as identification to obtain a state drivers license. The IDs are issued to legal immigrants who do not have Social Security numbers, but critics say they are too easy to duplicate fraudulently.

The state Senate this year approved a measure to stop allowing taxpayer IDs to obtain a license, but it stalled in the House. Tatum said he believed the Legislature would pass the change when it returns in May.

An estimated 300,000 illegal immigrants live in North Carolina, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Pew Hispanic Center.

The Pew Center numbers can not be relied upon. They estimate there are only 8,000,000 to 11,000,000 in the US and they've been estimating that for over 6 years.

There are 50,000,000 illegal aliens in the US and North Carolina has increased it's share of this dramatically since 2001.

So, I would quadruple the Pew Center estimates for a conversative estimate of 1,200,000 illegals in NC or realistically quintuple it for 1,500,000 to grasp the significance of the actual problem in North Carolina.

Ran across a similar article.

http://www.wral.com/news/5285616/detail.html

Some Critics Upset About New Effort For Immigrant Reform
Legislation Designed To Prevent Illegal Immigrants From Getting Driver's License

POSTED: 8:26 am EST November 9, 2005

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Members of North Carolina's congressional delegation will soon announce a new effort to keep illegal immigrants from getting a driver's license, but some believe it is the wrong road to immigration reform.

Recently, there have been several round-ups of illegal immigrants in North Carolina. Sen. Fred Smith, R-Johnston, said many of them came to North Carolina for one reason.

"Many illegal immigrants across the eastern part of the United States are flocking to North Carolina to get driver's licenses. I think that's no secret to anyone," he said.

North Carolina is one of handful of states that does not require applicants to prove they are in the country legally. Instead of a Social Security number, they can sign an affidavit and provide a taxpayer identification number instead.

North Carolina congresswoman Sue Myrick wants to prevent North Carolina from accepting taxpayer ID numbers, but advocates for Hispanic immigrants say that would hurt.

"Clearly, it will make it harder -- actually impossible -- for undocumented immigrants to get a driver's license. It will impose a legal presence requirement on driver's licenses," said Marison Jimenez, of El Pueblo.

Jimenez believes the move would not stop illegal immigrants from coming to North Carolina and would, instead, force many immigrants to drive without a license or insurance. She said what is needed is comprehensive immigration reform.

Smith, who supported a similar measure in the state Senate, believes it is a start.

"We've got to have a handle on who's supposed to be here legally and who's not," he said.

On the state level, the Senate passed the measure this session, but it stalled in the House. It could be considered in May.