Thread: Illegal Immigration issue EXPLODES in NC!

Illegal immigration comes to forefront in N.C.
4/17/2005
Associated Press
Topics: In-state tuition, Proposition 200, illegal aliens, laws, campaigns, Republican, Democrat, Americans for Legal Immigration, ALIPAC

RALEIGH, N.C. - The introduction of six bills in the state House and Senate dealing with Hispanics has brought to the forefront the debate over how to treat hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants in North Carolina.

Read the latest headlines about illegal immigration.

"It has been percolating up from the grass roots for some time," said Andrew Taylor, a political scientist at N.C. State University. Illegal immigration, he said, "is becoming increasingly visible to people."

The latest bill unleashed a ferocious response and drew national attention from conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh. Introduced Tuesday, the bill would allow undocumented high school students to pay in-state tuition at North Carolina colleges and universities. They now pay the more expensive out-of-state rates.

Although it was launched with the support of former Gov. Jim Hunt in the interest of economic development, the bill lost several co-sponsors after people lambasted it on the radio and in e-mail messages.

One of the co-sponsors who hasn't backed away, Rep. Bill Faison, D-Orange, said he received three e-mail messages in favor of the proposal and 15 against.

"Some of it's pretty hostile stuff," Faison said.

Other bills introduced this session would put the squeeze on illegal immigrants by denying them driver's licenses and some public benefits, and force employers who hire illegal immigrants to cover some of their medical expenses if needed.

Although none of the bills has been voted on, they have the potential to usher in changes that would be felt by most of the state's estimated 300,000 illegal immigrants.

"The issue is heating up," said state Sen. Andrew Brock, R-Davie, who co-sponsored two of the bills that would restrict illegal immigrants' privileges.

Evidence of that is an e-mail message sent early this month to El Pueblo, the Hispanic advocacy group in Raleigh.

"Illegal Aliens have no Rights to anything in the U.S. other than deportation," the message said, according to a copy forwarded by director Andrea Bazan-Manson. "TAKE YOUR MEXICAN FLAG AND STICK IT!!!."

The state's illegal immigrant population skyrocketed in the 1990s, as migrants mainly from rural Mexico began pouring across the southern border and making their way to North Carolina.

In a recent study, the Pew Hispanic Center found that from 2000 to 2004, North Carolina's illegal immigrant population grew 43 percent to 300,000, making it one of the fastest-growing illegal immigrant populations in the country.

Industries such as agriculture, hospitality and construction rely heavily on this growing labor pool because the workers are willing to pick tobacco, clean tables, hang drywall and perform other unglamorous jobs for long hours at low wages.

But after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, opposition to illegal immigrants began to intensify. Grass-roots groups, politicians and commentators argued that they represented a security threat.

William Gheen, 36, president of the Raleigh-based Americans for Legal Immigration, said he plans to visit the North Carolina Legislature daily to persuade lawmakers to block the in-state tuition bill and support the other proposals that would deny driver's licenses and some public benefits to illegal immigrants.

"If they don't act on this issue," Gheen said, "I'm convinced we'll end up like California, where they're closing hospitals and closing schools and their tax base is fleeing the state."

The frustration appears to be broadening. A poll commissioned by The News & Observer in 2003 found that nearly three-fourths of 600 respondents said Mexican workers who had entered the country illegally but were otherwise abiding by U.S. laws should not be allowed to remain.

In the Legislature, a bill has been filed to deny certain public benefits to illegal immigrants. The Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act, would also require employers who hire illegal immigrants to cover "necessary" medical expenses and demand that people show proof of citizenship when registering to vote.

Other bills would make it more difficult, if not impossible, for illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses.

At the national level, however, President Bush has proposed a guest-worker program that would give temporary legal status to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which represents 3 million businesses, supports the proposal.

READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE ON THE ALIPAC HOMEPAGE THRU THIS LINK

http://www.alipac.us/article349.html

The News&Observer did not do their research. For their information, American Workers have been picking tobacco and cotton for over 150 years. For their information, American Workers have been hanging drywall, cleaning, mowing, fixing, washing, flushing everything that needed to be picked, hung, cleaned, mowed, fixed, washed, flushed for low wages since the beginning of our Nation.

No American business needs illegal aliens to do anything.

The U. S. Chamber of Commerce is supporting a long list of illegal acts to the detriment of the United States and the American Workers.

If you care about your country, your state, your community, your Fellow Americans, and the future of your children and grandchildren, you will stop this insane illegal practice and abide by the law.

If you are not one of those contributing to the problem and wish to send a message to those who are, boycott all MEMBERS of the United States Chamber of Commerce which is any member of any Chamber of Commerce throughout the United States. If necessity requires you purchase products from these businesses, then do so after asking for the Manager and making your feelings about the US Chamber of Commerce vocal and aggressive position supporting illegal immigration.

If you shut down the US Chamber of Commerce through its membership, you dry up its funds to operate.

Most manufacturing companies belong to another organization called the American Manufacturers Association which does not support illegal immigration. AMA stated publicly that labor costs are not the primary reason for outsourcing operations to other countries. The top two reasons are utility and fuel costs.

Very few of the chamber members that belong to the US are violating American laws, but there is a growing number because if their competitors hire illegals, then eventually, they will have to as well.

"boycott all MEMBERS of the United States Chamber of Commerce which is any member of any Chamber of Commerce throughout the United States."

You are exactly right, Judy. I've been suggesting that for months after reading that the Chamber contributes to MALDEF. Their national spokesman was on Cspan a few weeks ago proclaiming how wonderful the ags bill or Bush amnesty would be. Grover Norquist, republican operative was there proding him on.

Aunt B thanks for the reply! What is wrong with these people? Did they really think we would stand for it and sacrifice the well-being of our people? Tell everyone to boycott the US Chamber and if necessities are required only purchase after speaking to the Manager to express your feelings, and if you must buy something, just buy that not any extras. The companies will withdraw membership or bring it up at their Chamber meetings. This alone will start focusing attention. Most American busineses are honest hard-working caring companies, but they are being dragged down by the few that I categorize as "cheater and thieves" who don't know how to make profits legally or simply choose to make more than the amounts they are legally capable of earning.