Thread: N.C.: State Cracking Down on Illegal Immigrants in Jail

State Cracking Down on Illegal Immigrants in Jail

Updated: Dec 31, 2007 03:44 PM PST


NEW HANOVER COUNTY -- Every day sheriff's deputies keep a close eye on inmates at the New Hanover County Jail.

Now a new law taking effect Jan. 1 will have them cracking down on illegal immigrants.

Sheriff's offices across North Carolina will be required to check the immigration status of people charged with felonies or impaired driving.

Anyone found to be here illegally will be turned over to federal agents for deportation.

Some people fear the law could lead to profiling.

"It really worries me. I'm concerned about it splitting families. I hope we don't have a lot of distress calls, my husband is gone and he's done nothing wrong," explained Lucy Vasques, found of Latino Magazine.

Officials with the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office say that will not be the case.

"The people this is targeting is people here to cause problems. Those not here to do what's right, here for negativity, we're trying to move that out of the community," explained Lieutenant J. L Simmons of the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office.

New Hanover County is taking it one step further. They are in the process of transforming a vacant lot into a new facility that would house only illegal immigrants.

It's part of the immigration and customs enforcement, also known as ICE Program.

The proposed building would house close to 100 illegal immigrants awaiting deportation, but it wouldn't be just for New Hanover County.

A check over the past three weeks found that only three of 70 inmates in New Hanover County are on the deportation list.

Reported by Sarah Warlick

http://www.wect.com/Global/story.asp?S= ... =menu157_2

In other words they are not going to deport until their second offence, they will arrest the 1st time illegal will go before and immigration judge, the judge should order them to leave the country (hopefully) if they get arrested a second time they will get deported....I think that is how it works? Does anyone know if this is the procedure?

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina political candidates must disclose their criminal pasts, and sheriff's offices are required to check the immigration status of people jailed on felony charges under dozens of new laws that take effect on New Year's Day.

Thousands of state government buildings also will become smoke-free Tuesday, the same day electric utilities will officially be on the clock to meet renewable energy and efficiency requirements by 2021. In all, 40 laws or portions of those laws approved in 2007 will be enforceable.

State lawmakers also approved legislation that requires candidates for any public office to disclose on their candidacy form whether they have ever been convicted of a felony.

Five current or former legislators have been indicted or pleaded guilty to criminal charges since 2004, including former House Speaker Jim Black, who is serving a five-year federal prison term after pleading guilty to political corruption.

Starting Tuesday, treasurers of legal expense funds for candidates or elected officials must identify the people or entities that donate and disclose how that money is used. Corporations and unions are limited to donating $4,000 per calendar year to the funds, in keeping with similar restrictions on campaign giving.

Lawmakers and ethics reform advocates sought the changes after legal expense funds set up in 2006 by Black and ex-Speaker Pro Tempore Richard Morgan were lawful but largely unregulated.

"Most of the members of the General Assembly are really honest and decent people," said Jane Pinsky, director of the North Carolina Coalition for Lobbying & Government Reform. But "anything that makes people feel that government is honest and open is good for all of us."

No-smoking signs have been affixed inside state government buildings across North Carolina, continuing a trend that started in 2005 when the General Assembly banned smoking in prisons. Lawmakers banned smoking inside adult care and nursing homes in 2007. The new ban doesn't apply to public university buildings, which have their own rules.

"I'm not aware of any resistance that we've had" to the new ban, said state Administration Secretary Britt Cobb, whose department oversees property where about 72,000 state agency employees work.

Also Tuesday, the state's largest electric utilities must begin working toward generating 12.5 percent of their power from alternative energy sources or through energy savings by 2021. Electric cooperatives and municipal-owned power companies must meet a 10 percent requirement by 2018.

The phased-in standard begins with a 3 percent mandate for all providers by 2012.

Although other portions of the law worry some environmental groups, the standard "paves the way for a smart energy future," said Shana Becker with the North Carolina Public Interest Research Group.

The North Carolina Utilities Commission is still finalizing rules to carry out the law. Raleigh-based Progress Energy will focus early on solar power and fuel from animal waste, in keeping with the law, said company spokesman Scott Sutton.

The Legislature also agreed to order sheriffs and other jail administrators to determine whether someone charged with a felony or accused of driving while impaired is a legal U.S. resident. The jailer would ask the federal government for assistance if the person's legal status can't be determined.

When an illegal immigrant is charged with a crime, "we want to do whatever we can to have them deported," Sen. Julia Boseman, D-New Hanover, the primary sponsor of the bill, said Monday.

Other laws taking effect Tuesday:

- allow adult adoptees or their biological parents to get formal assistance from an adoption agency to find out each other's identities.

- limit monetary damages to $1 million in health care negligence cases when all parties in a case agreed to binding arbitration.

- add by 20 cents the cost of a rabies vaccination tag for pets, with proceeds going to support rabies education and the state's spay and neuter program.

- lowers the top individual income tax rate from 8 percent to 7.75 percent.

http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/2237221/