NC senator in favor of Arizona's immigration law

Posted: May 26, 2010 1:38 PM EDT Updated: May 26, 2010 1:38 PM EDT

RALEIGH, NC (WECT) – North Carolina has become the 18th state to push Arizona's new immigration law.

The governor of Arizona signed the nation's toughest bill on illegal immigration into law in April. It is designed to identify, prosecute and deport illegal immigrants. It would make failing to carry immigration documents a crime and give the police more power to detain anyone they suspect is in the country illegally.

NC State Senator Don East filed a state Senate Joint Resolution that would allow a version of Arizona's immigration bill to be filed during the short session of the NC Legislature this year.

North Carolina's legislature is currently in what is called the "short session' where only bills relevant to the state budget are allowed to be filed. It requires a joint resolution to be passed to waive that rule.

Passage of the joint resolution would allow Senator East to file the state's version of the Arizona bill, which would be titled: An act to create the crime of willful failure to carry or complete an alien registration document.

"I am proud to announce that North Carolina's lawmakers are rising to support Arizona and 17 other states for the Rule of Law and immigration enforcement," said William Gheen, a North Carolina native and President of the nation's 3rd largest immigration enforcement group. "We need to send a clear message to Washington to secure our borders and a clear message to illegal aliens to go home."

The current list of states following Arizona's lead includes: Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah.

http://www.wect.com/Global/story.asp?S=12546962