Thread: N.C. - Immigration plan to be presented to Charlotte city leaders

Posted: 4:31 p.m. Monday, March 23, 2015
By Jim Bradley

CHARLOTTE, N.C. —

A 27-point plan on Charlotte's immigrant community is being presented Monday night to Charlotte City Council.

The Immigrant Integration Task Force plan seeks to improve living and working conditions in Charlotte for an estimated 125,000 immigrants who call the city home.

Many live in the shadows without documentation or legal status, but even they hold key places in Charlotte's economy.

The immigration proposal is aimed at making city policies more immigrant-friendly because of that.

"What could Charlotte look like if we had more thoughtful, proactive policies that would engage people who are coming here from other countries?" said Jess George, executive director of the Latin American Coalition. "Integration is about advancing economic opportunity. It's about creating opportunities for civic engagement."

The task force's recommendations include a controversial idea to create a community ID card for immigrants, including those without legal documentation. Mayor Dan Clodfelter has been supportive in part because it would benefit law enforcement, he said.

"Our law enforcement officers are some of the biggest advocates," Clodfelter said. "When we have people around in the community and we don’t know who they are, we don't know where they live, we don't know how to find them, it makes it very, very difficult for (police officers) to do their jobs."

The immigration plan is more than just the ID proposal. It also calls for establishing “international corridors” to help immigrant-owned businesses and creating new programs for housing and civic engagement.
"Our hope is that the City Council will not only accept the recommendations that are outlines in the 27- points but also for them to come up with a really strong action plan," Jess George said.

Council members said they expect the ideas to need significant work before any could be implemented.

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/loca...y-leade/nkc4Q/

Charlotte, are you going go stand for that? Tell the police to pick those unidentified up, charge them with vagrancy, and take them to BP station. Or you can take out your frustration upon the city's streets.

I agree with kevinsdad.