http://www.alipac.us/article380.html

May 01,2005
Barry Smith
Freedom Raleigh Bureau
Topics: Legislation, Illegal Immigration, Republican, Democrat, laws, crimes, campaigns
RALEIGH - You normally think of immigration battles being fought in Washington or along the Mexican and Canadian borders.

Read the latest headlines about illegal immigration.

This year, immigration has become a hot topic in the halls of the Legislative Building. Bills designed to both assist illegal immigrants and to make it more difficult for them to obtain things such as a driver's licenses or qualify for in-state college tuition and other assistance have been introduced in the General Assembly.

"These efforts have nothing to do with legal immigrants," state Sen. Hugh Webster, R-Alamance, said during a recent news conference, called to support some of the bills combating illegal immigration and in opposition to the tuition bill. "It is all about criminal conduct. We are being overrun by illegal immigrants, people who have thumbed their nose at our law."

The debate over the immigration issue has become aggressive. And one sponsor of the in-state tuition bill said that some of the calls he has received over the bill have taken on a nasty tone.

Rep. Jeff Barnhart, R-Cabarrus, said that some opponents of the bill have left racial slurs on his voice mail.

"It's constant," Barnhart said. "Half of the e-mails or phone calls I get are mad at the whole immigration system."

Federal issue

Another sponsor of the bill, Rep. Paul Luebke, D-Durham, agreed that many of the people upset with the bill are angry at the nation's immigration system.

"The anger that many people show really should be directed toward their federal representatives - their congressman, senator, president - who are unable to pass a bill," Luebke said.

"I'm 100 percent in favor of the feds doing something," Barnhart said about the immigration problem. "That doesn't mean I'm going to take it out on their kids."

Bill Gheen, president of Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, is often seen in the halls of the Legislative Building encouraging lawmakers to oppose the in-state tuition bill and support some of the bills that tighten up on illegal immigration.

"Rapid illegal immigration will destroy this state," Gheen said. "My organization is trying to prevent a backlash against all immigration."

When asked if he was opposed to illegal immigration or to immigration per se, he replied, "It's both. We can't handle 3 million third-world illegal aliens per year. Legalizing them would even bring more."

He said that the organization is trying to stem the tide of illegal immigration by securing the nation's borders, removing rewards and incentives to come here - such as obtaining a driver's license or receiving in-state tuition benefits - cracking down on employers who intentionally hire illegal immigrants, and by allowing police to deport illegal immigrants after they're convicted of crimes.

"A license is a privilege, not a right," Gheen said in support of the bill aimed at preventing illegal immigrants from obtaining a driver's license. "They don't need licenses to drive to jobs that it's illegal for them to have."

In-state tuition

In arguing against the in-state tuition bill, Gheen said that "90 percent of North Carolinians can't be wrong."

He was referring to online polls, which are not considered scientific, that showed up to 90 percent of those responding voicing their opposition to the bill.

Yet a recent Elon Poll, conducted by Elon University, showed North Carolinians favoring in-state tuition for illegal immigrants by a 49 percent to 41 percent margin.

He said that the Elon Poll was "a bogus poll" and took issue with the wording of the question asked. The question asked if respondents supported or opposed in-state tuition for illegal immigrants if the immigrants met the qualifications of the bill, such as being attending high school in North Carolina for four years and agreeing to apply for legal immigration status.

Gheen said that the question should have simply said: "Do you support in-state tuition for illegal aliens?"

Luebke said that the poll shows that the people are beginning to support the bill, despite critical reviews it has gotten on some talk radio stations.

"When the firestorm subsides, people can see the fairness aspect for children who did not come here voluntarily and the importance of an educated bilingual labor force in our state," he said.

The in-state tuition bill, the one that has fostered the most debate of all the immigration-related bills this session, is in a holding pattern while supporters gauge public opinion and clarify legal issues that have been raised, Luebke said.

One issue raised by Gov. Mike Easley and legislative staff members relates to a federal law that says that if a state provides such benefits to illegal immigrants, it also must provide them to out-of-state students.

Barnhart said that, under the bill, illegal immigrants would not replace legal North Carolina residents in gaining admission to the universities and community colleges. Instead, he said that the illegal immigrants would compete for slots designated for out-of-state students. He added that such students would not receive preferential treatment.

http://www.alipac.us/article380.html