Thread: NC: Senate race centers on illegal-immigration issue

Senate race centers on illegal-immigration issue
Dole, Hagan disagree on program in which local police check immigration status of people in custody
By James Romoser

JOURNAL RALEIGH BUREAU
Published: May 30, 2008
GRAHAM

Illegal immigration is emerging as a top issue in this year's U.S. Senate race in North Carolina.

Sen. Elizabeth Dole, the Republican incumbent, and Kay Hagan, the Democratic challenger, both made public appearances this week alongside county sheriffs in which they talked about how local law-enforcement officials can cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

But the candidates disagree on the effectiveness and the financial cost of a program that allows local officials to screen criminal suspects for immigration status.

Dole is a big supporter of the program, which is nicknamed the "287(g) program" after the section of federal immigration law that established it.

In North Carolina, four sheriff's offices in four counties — Alamance, Cabarrus, Gaston and Mecklenburg — currently use the program at their county jails, and three other counties — Cumberland, Henderson and Wake — are training to use the program. The Durham city police department also has the program, which allows jailers to check the immigration status of people who have been arrested for other crimes.

If they are found to be in the country illegally, local officials notify federal authorities, who initiate deportation proceedings.

Speaking yesterday at the Alamance County Jail, Dole said that the 287(g) program has been a big success. She said that it is an important part of her effort to establish what she called a statewide plan for immigration enforcement. "It's not a matter of going out and picking people up on the street," she said. "These are people who are illegal aliens who have self-identified themselves because of their criminal behavior. That's the purpose of this plan: to identify, to apprehend and to deport illegal and criminal aliens."

According to Dole's Senate office, the average number of such deportations in North Carolina six years ago was 26 a month. The number of such deportations is now more than 500 per month.

Dole also released her first television ad of the campaign this week. The ad focuses on immigration.

Hagan, a state senator from Greensboro who will face Dole in the November general election, expressed some support for the 287(g) program, but she called it a "patchwork" measure that falls short of a comprehensive immigration solution that would secure the nation's borders and crack down on employers who hire illegal immigrants.

Hagan also said that the federal government has failed to provide enough money to pay for the program. Appearing earlier this week in Raleigh, Hagan told a group of sheriffs that the cost of enforcing immigration laws should not fall on state or local governments.

As a key budget writer in the N.C. Senate, Hagan helped appropriate $750,000 in this year's state budget to help counties set up the 287(g) program.

"Washington wasn't providing it," said Dave Hoffman, a spokesman for Hagan. "This is another issue where Washington is broken."
Dole directly disputed Hagan's charge. She said that the federal government pays the full cost of the program.

The federal government does pay for the training required for local law-enforcement agents. It also pays for necessary computer hardware that local officials use to tap into federal immigration databases.

But if a county incurs some other cost in setting up the program, it must find some other way to pay for it. For instance, Forsyth County applied for the program but estimated that it would need to hire additional staff.

Forsyth County Sheriff Bill Schatzman, a Republican, was in Graham yesterday supporting Dole's immigration platform. But Schatzman said that if Forsyth County were to enact the 287(g) program, the county — not the federal government — would have to pay for the extra staff.

Forsyth County is unlikely to be enrolled in the program anytime soon because the federal government has slowed expansion of the program.

Brian Nick, Dole's chief of staff, said that the program is not intended to require any additional staff, just retraining of existing staff.

He also said that the 287(g) program is intended to be used only in counties with enough jail space to detain the illegal immigrants. Forsyth County, which has a crowded jail, is not considered one of those counties.

Counties without the 287(g) program can still check the immigration status of inmates through other programs that give counties electronic access to immigration databases. Nick said that these programs are being expanded and enhanced throughout North Carolina, an effort that Schatzman praised.
http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2008 ... ncpolitics

Hagan also said that the federal government has failed to provide enough money to pay for the program. Appearing earlier this week in Raleigh, Hagan told a group of sheriffs that the cost of enforcing immigration laws should not fall on state or local governments.

She doesn't think the cost of enforcing immigration laws should fall on state or local government, but she's ok with state or local government being forced to subsidize illegal aliens?!?!?!

I'd rather pay for enforcement any day, a lot cheaper too!

By enforcing immigration laws, we reduce the number of illegal aliens who abuse our social service systems. Cheaper to deport IAs than paying for their kids to be educated in our schools! Cheaper to deport them than giving them free medical care in our ERs and maternity wards!

Think about it!

According to Dole's Senate office, the average number of such deportations in North Carolina six years ago was 26 a month. The number of such deportations is now more than 500 per month.

Cool!

You go girl (Dole).

Note how Hagan uses the word "comprehensive" when she talks about an "immigration solution" and problem.

From another thread:

"Of course I believe that illegal immigrants who are convicted of a crime should be deported, but the 287(g) program is not a comprehensive solution to our country's immigration problem — it's a Band-Aid."

We all know what this means. I don't trust Hagan on this issue, especially when there is a strong, proven opponent of illegal immigration like Elizabeth Dole running.

Support Elizabeth Dole:

www.elizabethdole.org

newsobserver.com
May 30, 2008

Dole holds press conference on illegal immigrants
By Kristin Collins, Staff Writer

RALEIGH - Illegal immigrants arrested in North Carolina are being deported like never before, Sen. Elizabeth Dole said at a press conference today.

"If they're thinking of coming to North Carolina to commit crimes, they darn well better not do it," Dole said. "Because we're going to catch them."

Dole held the press conference along with four county sheriffs just days after her Democratic opponent Kay Hagan held a meeting with sheriffs to discuss immigration. Dole says she has been the leader in calling for a crackdown on criminal illegal immigrants.

With Dole's support, sheriff's departments in North Carolina have teamed up with federal immigration officials to help deport illegal immigrants who come through county jails. Dole said about 500 people a month are now being deported with the help of North Carolina's local law enforcement.

Three sheriff's departments — in Wake, Henderson and Cumberland counties — are now training for a federal immigration program that will allow them to check the immigration status of their jail inmates and begin deportation proceedings.

Four sheriff's departments and the Durham Police Department already have the program. North Carolina is among the leading states in the nation for participation in the program.

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1090490.html

This wouldn't even be an issue if the citizens weren't letting their wants known. They don't bring up issues they don't want to talk about. It's us folks that keep on them about this issue.

Published: May 31, 2008 12:30 AM
Modified: May 31, 2008 02:22 AM

Sheriffs to check status of inmates
Illegal immigrants could be deported

Kristin Collins, Staff Writer
Three new sheriff's departments, including Wake County's, will soon be checking the immigration status of their jail inmates, putting North Carolina among the top states for deporting illegal immigrants, Sen. Elizabeth Dole announced at a news conference Friday.

Sheriff's departments in Wake, Henderson and Cumberland counties are training now with federal immigration officials for a program that will allow them to start deportation proceedings for people in the country illegally. Wake Sheriff Donnie Harrison said the program will likely begin by the beginning of July.

Four other sheriff's departments and the Durham Police Department already participate in the program.

"If they're thinking of coming to North Carolina to commit crimes, they darn well better not do it," Dole said of illegal immigrants, "because we're going to catch them."

Dole held the news conference along with four county sheriffs just days after her Democratic opponent, Kay Hagan, held a meeting with sheriffs to discuss immigration. Dole says she has been the leader in calling for a crackdown on criminal illegal immigrants.

With Dole's support, sheriff's departments in North Carolina have teamed up with federal immigration officials to help deport illegal immigrants who come through county jails. Some are enrolling in the program that allows them to start deportation proceedings, and others are contacting federal immigration officers when they have inmates they suspect are not legal residents. Dole said about 500 people a month are now being deported with the help of North Carolina's local law enforcement.

Dole said the country must enforce existing immigration laws and rid the country of criminals before attempting comprehensive federal immigration reform.

"If you've got a leaky pipe, you've got to turn that water off before you fix that leaky pipe," Dole said.

Dole and the sheriffs emphasized that they do not endorse rounding up illegal immigrants. The sheriffs said they simply check the status of those who have already been arrested for other crimes.

But, illegal immigrants need not be concerned if they obey the law, Sheriff Steve Bizzell of Johnston County said. If they "quit the driving drunk, home invasions, rapes, robberies, murders, they don't have to worry about this program," Bizzell said.

The sheriffs acknowledged, however, that people can be taken to jail for lesser charges, including driving without a license.

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1091145.html