NC immigration panel says feds should do more
By EMERY P. DALESIO, Associated Press
Updated 2:01 p.m., Thursday, December 6, 2012
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A General Assembly committee that Latino advocates feared could set a path for North Carolina to follow other Sun Belt states into a crackdown on illegal immigrants wrapped up a year of meetings Thursday by recommending no new legislative action other than urging Washington to do more.
A lot has changed since the House Select Committee on the State's Role in Immigration Policy was conceived amid action by other GOP-controlled legislatures in Arizona, South Carolina, Alabama and Georgia to pass tough new laws targeting illegal immigrants.
"We're not recommending a specific bill" but individual lawmakers could propose their own ideas, said committee co-chairman Rep. Frank Iler, R-Brunswick.
House Speaker Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg, did not return messages seeking comment. Tillis told the StarNews of Wilmington this week that North Carolina lawmakers shouldn't follow the lead of other states in adopting ough laws against illegal immigrants.
"It's a very emotional issue on both sides, and we've got to try and hold that rhetoric off and look at things that benefit the economy, treat people respectfully, and in some cases, address some symptoms now whose problem is really rooted in federal policy. I just think we need to be very careful with it," Tillis said.
The legislative committee hadn't met since March as it waited for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on Arizona's law requiring police to question the immigration status of those they suspect are in the country illegally. The court cleared that provision of the law.
Representatives of North Carolina's home building, construction, farming and other industries that extensively use immigrant labor urged lawmakers to be cautious.
Hispanics are the nation's fastest-growing population group, and seven out of 10 Latinos voting in last month's presidential election backed President Barack Obama over Republican Mitt Romney, according to exit polls.
The committee's report came as the U.S. Census Bureau released data Thursday estimating North Carolina's Hispanic population fell from about 800,000 in 2010, or 8.4 percent of the state's total population, to about 765,000, or 8.1 percent in 2011.
The new census data confirmed a clear and sustained drop in illegal immigration nationwide after more than a decade of increases, with the number falling to about 11.1 million last year from a peak of 12 million in 2007. About 80 percent of all illegal immigration comes from Mexico and Latin America, but demographers say illegal immigration from south of the U.S. border isn't likely to return to its mid-2000 peak due to a weakened U.S. economy, stronger enforcement, and an aging Mexican population.
The Pew Hispanic Center last year estimated that North Carolina ranked ninth in population among the states with between 240,000 and 425,000 "unauthorized immigrants," which the research group defined as foreign-born citizens of other countries who aren't legal U.S. immigrants.
The legislative committee said North Carolina lawmakers should urge the federal government to better enforce border security everywhere, and for Washington to delegate more authority for states to enforce immigration laws.
Iler then met with Latino advocates to discuss their proposals for North Carolina to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants who have lived in the country for years and who have clean criminal records.
"It's a good day. The committee didn't find anything to do in North Carolina," said Maudia Melendez, executive director of the Jesus Ministry, a Charlotte non-profit that advocates for Latinos.
The head of a group opposed to illegal immigrants called the committee a farce aimed at diluting demands for a crackdown.
(the following quote has been corrected per William)
"I want to scream at them and ask how many people have to die and lose their jobs and homes at the hands of illegal immigrants, before these lawmakers will take steps to protect our citizens?"
NC immigration panel says feds should do more - SFGate
Immigration study yields no suggestions for state crackdown
Published: Thursday, December 6, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, December 6, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.
By Patrick Gannon
starnewsonline.com
http://www.starnewsonline.com//apps/...W=445&border=0
State Rep. Frank Iler, R-Brunswick, meets with members of an immigration group lobbying for a system that would enable some undocumented immigrants to earn driver's licenses.
Photo by Patrick Gannon
As state lawmakers signed off on recommendations Thursday on how to deal with illegal immigration in North Carolina, a group of Hispanics circulated a proposal to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver licenses in the state.
With little discussion, the House Select Committee on the State's Role in Immigration Policy approved findings and recommendations at its meeting in Raleigh. They will be given to the General Assembly for consideration in the legislative session that begins in January.
The committee, which met several times over the past year, didn't propose or endorse any new state legislation regarding illegal immigration. Instead, it said lawmakers should continue to revise previously introduced, but not enacted, proposals and seek input from a "wide array of interested stakeholders."
The committee also recommended that state lawmakers pass resolutions encouraging North Carolina's congressional delegation to lead the charge for federal immigration reform, urge the federal government to enforce security along U.S. borders and give the states more authority to deal with illegal immigration issues.
The report would appear to be a victory for those who feared the Republican-led General Assembly would enact sweeping new anti-illegal immigration laws.
"We believe that what happened here today is the providence of God," said Maudia Melendez, executive director of Jesus Ministry Inc. in Charlotte and an advocate for undocumented immigrants.
But some lawmakers said despite the report, they would continue to pursue legislation to remedy problems caused by the presence of illegal immigrants in the state. The Pew Hispanic Center estimates North Carolina ranks ninth in population among the states with 325,000 unauthorized immigrants, defined as foreign-born citizens of other countries who aren't legal immigrants.
State Sen. Thom Goolsby, R-New Hanover, attended the meeting and said afterward that he would introduce legislation in the 2013 session similar to a bill he filed last session titled, "No benefits for illegal aliens."
The legislation would prohibit those in the country illegally from receiving various public benefits from the federal, state and local governments. Citing estimates that show illegal immigrants cost taxpayers $1 billion to $2 billion annually in North Carolina, Goolsby said he wants to put an end to that.
"I don't personally want to be hard on anyone," he said. "I want laws to be obeyed and taxpayer dollars to be spent on our people.… We could have done a lot more with that extra billion or two in our budget last year."
Melendez responded by saying Jesus Ministry is inviting North Carolinians to participate in 40 days of prayer and fasting starting Jan. 1 for government to "deal with the immigrants in a more merciful and compassionate way."
"Our trust is not so much in men, but in God," she said.
Republicans who control both chambers of the General Assembly differ over how strong to be on illegal immigration in the coming legislative session, which begins in January.
N.C. House Speaker Thom Tillis said this week that lawmakers would work with the business community and other interest groups to come up with a more "thoughtful, respectful way to make progress" on the issue.
Tillis said the Republican-led Legislature shouldn't follow the lead of other states, which enacted tough laws against illegal immigrants.
"We have several other states that I think moved out ahead of their blockers, and probably created as many or more problems than they theoretically fixed, and we can learn from that," Tillis said.
Tillis said any approach on illegal immigration must take into account the impact on jobs and certain industries that rely on immigrants, especially given the tough economic climate.
"This state cannot afford to have policies come from Raleigh that affect a single job if we can avoid it," he said.
Tillis said, however, that individual lawmakers can pursue immigration legislation if they choose.
Meanwhile, after Thursday's committee meeting, Melendez and about two dozen others, mainly Hispanics, sat down with state Rep. Frank Iler, R-Brunswick and co-chairman of the study committee, to urge lawmakers to consider issuing driver licenses to undocumented immigrants under certain conditions.
The proposal floated by Jesus Ministry would issue licenses for two years for a $50 charge. The applicant would have to pass an FBI background check. To prevent undocumented residents from other states from coming to North Carolina to get licenses, applicants would have to show that they have paid state and federal taxes for two years.
The group argues that many immigrants drive without licenses because they need transportation to provide for their families. Allowing them to have licenses would provide the government information about who is in the country and where they live, improve safety on the roads and provide revenue to the state, among other benefits, according to the Jesus Ministry.
It was unclear immediately whether the legislation would find any support among lawmakers. Iler didn't offer any opinion but said he would want to hear input from law enforcement officials. He said he couldn't make it happen by himself.
"You understand I have to run this by other people," he told the group.
Immigration study yields no suggestions for state crackdown | StarNewsOnline.com
