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Immigration study is halfway done
6/29/2006 6:19 PM
By: Adam Shub, News 14 Carolina


Immigration Study

Mayor Pat McCrory hopes the committee’s findings can add to the national debate regarding immigration reform.







CHARLOTTE -- A 29-member task force, formed by Mayor Pat McCrory last year, has spent months looking at the local impact of illegal immigration.

It is now halfway through the process, which will end with policy recommendations.

"Never before do we know of a local area that’s trying to get the real facts of what the impact is on the taxpayer, on law enforcement,” McCrory said at one of the committee’s meetings Thursday.

So far, it seems that border control is undermining the efforts of local law enforcement agencies. Illegal immigrants, deported to Mexico, return to Mecklenburg County one week later on average, according to Sheriff Jim Pendergraph.


The committee’s proposals are expected to be announced by the end of the year.
"I was told last week that the quickest one they found, one we deported, he was back in the community here in three days,” said Pendergraph, who is on the committee.

The committee said Hispanics make up 33 percent of the people working on Charlotte-area construction projects. Half of those, according to state estimates, are in the country illegally.

"We have the law of the land, which we should all be following,” McCrory said. “But we have many people profiting" from illegal immigration.


The mayor hopes the committee’s findings can add to the national debate regarding immigration reform. But some committee members aren’t sure they’ll have any impact at all.

"Until the borders are secured better, we're fighting an uphill battle,” Pendergraph said.

The committee’s proposals are expected to be announced by the end of the year.

The group’s next meeting will be held at the end of August.