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Immigration bills near passage
July 26,2006
BARRY SMITH
FREEDOM RALEIGH BUREAU
RALEIGH — Legislation that could affect immigrants who are in the state and country illegally could pass the General Assembly during its waning days and make it into law.

One piece of legislation is aimed at preventing illegal immigrants from getting a driver’s license. Another would allow for some police to have limited immigration enforcement.

Yet another bill, which has been tentatively passed by the state House, would require state government, including the UNC system, community colleges and school systems, to use a federal databank to make sure new hires are legal residents.

“We’re saying it’s too easy” for illegal aliens to get a driver’s license in North Carolina, said Sen. David Hoyle, D-Gaston, who is pushing for a law prohibiting the Division of Motor Vehicles to use what’s called an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for purposes of getting a license.

Such numbers, issued by the IRS, are often used by people in the country illegally because they can’t get Social Security numbers, advocates of stricter immigration enforcement say.

“Basically, the ITIN has been the point of criticism because the feds don’t check to make sure they’re here legally,” said Amy Fulk, chief of staff for Senate President Pro-tem Marc Basnight, D-Dare.

“They’ve got to be here legally to get a Social Security card,” Hoyle said. “And you are here legally if you’ve got a visa.”

The proposal is being considered as a part of a technical corrections bill designed to tidy up state statutes.

A separate such bill includes the provision giving local police who enforce some federal immigration laws a required statutory exemption from dual office-holding.

Rep. Joe Hackney, D-Orange, who is shepherding that bill through the House, said it’s not likely that police across the state will soon take over immigration enforcement functions.

Such authority requires law enforcement offices to sign memorandums of agreement with the federal government. “There has to be resources,” Hackney said. “You can’t just call up and ask for it and get it.”

On Tuesday, House members, by a 107-2 vote, approved a bill requiring all state agencies to make sure that new employees are legal residents by submitting their names through a federal verification system called the Basic Pilot Program.

The bill was introduced by Rep. George Cleveland, R-Onslow.

Cleveland said that some form of the program has been in effect since 1996.

“It’s a very simple, free way to make sure employees are eligible to be employed,” Cleveland said. “Eventually, everybody in the country is going to have to be on it.”

Rep. Linda Coleman, D-Wake, questioned the need for such a program since employers are already required to collect information on an I-9 form.

“We already have something in place that does something this bill proposes to do,” Coleman said during debate on the House floor.

A final vote on the House floor could take place today. Its passage into law is uncertain, however, since it has not been taken up by the Senate. Legislative officials are saying that they hope to adjourn this week.

Votes on the other pieces of legislation affecting immigrants, the driver’s license and immigration enforcement provisions, could come as early as today.

Barry Smith can be reached at bsmith@link.freedom.com.


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