GASTONIA, N.C. - Reacting to the death of an N.C. man in a drunken-driving wreck involving an illegal immigrant, U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick on Monday unveiled a proposal that she said would make local police more responsible for tracking illegal immigrants, Myrick said.

Republican, Congress, George Bush, President, illegal aliens, crimes, laws, security, DWI, immigrants

8/16/2005
Associated Press

Myrick named the "Scott Gardner Act" after the Mount Holly resident killed in an apparent drunken-driving wreck July 16 in Brunswick County. Ramiro Gallegos of Mexico, convicted of driving while intoxicated three times but never deported, faces second-degree murder charges in the wreck.

Gardner's family attended Monday's news conference but did not speak. Gardner's wife, Tina, was critically injured and remains hospitalized. Their children, 5-year-old Jackson and 2-year-old Avery, suffered minor injuries.

The legislation would require all state and local law-enforcement agencies to report immigration status, deportation orders and failures to appear to the FBI's National Crime Information Center database within 30 days of the incident.

Officials also would have to enter all driving while impaired convictions into the database. DWI, a misdemeanor, would become a deportable offense and judges would have access to national data for better sentencing, Myrick said.

"No more excuses," Myrick said. "No more endless appeals. You're drunk. You're driving. You're illegal. You're deported. Period."

The act is one of several initiatives Myrick announced, including creating an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in the Charlotte region, adding more deportation officers and increasing fines for businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

North Carolina should not have to rely upon the regional Atlanta office for decisions, Myrick said.

"[Atlanta is] slow to respond and quick to seize the manpower slated for our area for themselves."

North Carolina has one deportation officer and an estimated 300,000 illegal immigrants.

William Gheen, president of Raleigh-based Americans for Legal Immigration, said lawmakers should focus on spending the money and enforcing existing laws, including 1996 legislation giving local police authority to arrest illegal immigrants.

This year, the U.S. House approved $635 million for more than 700 border patrol agents, immigration investigators and detention officers and 1,950 detention beds. The House also approved $61 million for border security technology and $40 million to train state and local police to enforce immigration laws.

Angeles Ortega, director of the Latin American Coalition in Charlotte, said the possible laws shift focus away from the main problem in Gardner's death: drunken driving.

"Instead of making DWI a felony instead of a misdemeanor, they are going after illegal immigrants," Ortega said.

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