North Carolina Immigration forum draws crowd

[Brian503a]

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs. ... 09044/1099

Immigration forum draws crowd
Congressmen want tougher enforcement
by Michael Flynn, MLFLYNN@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM
published September 10, 2006 12:15 am

FLAT ROCK — Highlighting the interest of many mountain residents in immigration issues, more than 200 people gathered at Blue Ridge Community College

on Saturday evening for a two-hour forum on the topic sponsored by U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor, R-Brevard, and featuring U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, a Colorado Republican.

Marilyn Litewski, 67, of Hendersonville said concerns about illegal immigration led her to attend. “Something has to be done,” she said. “We’re concerned about our borders and security.”

Both congressmen stressed the need to fully enforce immigration laws, whether existing rules or part of any new legislation.

“You have to do something about employers who are willing to hire people who are here illegally,” said Tancredo, an outspoken critic of illegal immigration. “The costs of supporting cheap labor are enormous.”

Chairman of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, a mostly Republican group that includes Taylor and has pushed for tougher immigration policies, Tancredo helped pass legislation in the U.S. House that would create criminal sanctions for illegal immigrants and their employers and erect a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.

Larry Freeman, news director at WHKP-AM radio in Hendersonville, read questions for the congressmen submitted by audience members and callers, the responses to which drew frequent applause.

Addressing a question about different congressional proposals on immigration, Taylor said, “I do not believe in rewarding with citizenship people who have broken the country’s laws.”

But many local farmers rely on foreign labor, said WNC resident Bruce Tipton, 55, who grew up in Madison County. “Our farmers have become dependent on this foreign labor, whether legal or illegal. The fact is, that the indiscriminate deportation of our farm labor will spell disaster for our farmers,” he said.

Attendees also included members of the local Hispanic community, such as Sarah Nuñez, board president of the Latino Advocacy Coalition.

“I’m a supporter of a comprehensive immigration reform and want to learn what Taylor and Tancredo have to say,” she said.

As in other elections this fall, immigration is an issue in the 11th Congressional District race between Taylor, an eight-term incumbent, and Waynesville Democrat Heath Shuler.

According to numbers from the Pew Hispanic Center distributed by Taylor, North Carolina has the country’s eighth largest population of illegal aliens, totaling about 300,000 people.

Shuler has also called for stricter border control and spoken against amnesty proposals that create a path to citizenship for many illegal immigrants. “It’s unfair — they have to go through the proper channels,” he said Friday, in support of deporting illegal immigrants. Shuler, who did not attend Saturday’s event, also criticized the current administration and Congress for lax border control.

Staff writer Alsy Acevedo contributed to this report.

Contact Michael Flynn at 828-232-2935 or via e-mail at mlflynn@ashevill.gannett.com.

[Brian503a]

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs. ... 09028/1188

Immigration forum stresses stricter enforcement
by Michael Flynn
published September 9, 2006 9:48 pm

FLAT ROCK – Highlighting the interest of many mountain residents in immigration issues, more than 200 people gathered at Blue Ridge Community College this evening for a two-hour forum on on the topic sponsored by U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor, R-Brevard, and featuring U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, a Colorado Republican.

Both congressmen stressed the need to fully enforce immigration laws, whether existing rules or part of any new legislation.

“You have to do something about employers who are willing to hire people who are here illegally,” said Tancredo, an outspoken critic of illegal immigration. “The costs of supporting cheap labor are enormous.”

Marilyn Litewski of Hendersonville, 67, said concerns about illegal immigration led her to attend. “Something has to be done,” she said. “We’re concerned about our borders and security.”

But many local farmers rely on foreign labor, said WNC resident Bruce Tipton, 55, who grew up in Madison County. “Our farmers have become dependent on this foreign labor, whether legal or illegal. The fact is, that the indiscriminate deportation of our farm labor will spell disaster for our farmers.”

As in other elections this fall, immigration is an issue in the 11th Congressional District race between Taylor, an eight-term incumbent, and Waynesville Democrat Heath Shuler.

For more on this story, see tomorrow’s Citizen-Times.

Contact Michael Flynn at 828-232-2935 or via e-mail at mlflynn@ashevill.gannett.com.

[Judy]

That was good turn out!!

The answer to the farmers issue is that we have always had a legal means for them to hire foreign seasonal labor. There are unused visas available in large quantity....more than enough to serve the needs of our farmers.

Anxious to hear from W on all the details!!

[had_enuf]

But Judy............it would cost these farmers too much to hire their foreign workers legally.

Doesn't the visa require the employer to pay $9+ per hour, provide housing, transportation to grocery and doctor?

Why should they do all that when they can hire illegals to keep their cost down and their profits up?

[had_enuf]

http://www.hendersonvillenews.com/apps/ ... 00378/1042

September 10. 2006 1:27AM

Officials get to 'crux of the matter'
Jennie Jones Giles
Times-News Staff Writer
jennie.giles@hendersonvillenews.com

A crowd of more than 350 people gave overwhelming support to the views of U.S. Reps. Tom Tancredo of Colorado and Charles Taylor of Brevard at an official Congressional public hearing Saturday at Blue Ridge Community College.

The Colorado congressman is the sponsor of House Bill 4437, the "Secure Border Bill." The bill passed the House. The Senate has proposed a bill calling for amnesty of many illegal immigrants currently in the country. The two chambers are now in conference.

Tancredo, whose grandparents came to the United States in 1894 from Italy, said the law must be applied equally for everyone who wants to come to America.

"Ethnicity and race are irrelevant," he said. "What message does amnesty send to those waiting to come here in the right way?"

"All of us are immigrants or descend from immigrants," Taylor said. "Enforcement of the law is the crux of the matter."

The congressmen answered written questions from the crowd and from telephone calls on problems stemming from illegal immigration and offered their solutions to those problems.

"I do not believe in rewarding with citizenship people who broke the country's laws," Taylor said. "The laws must be recognized and enforced. We can't have a dual set of laws in this country. The law will start coming apart, and soon you will have no law at all."

Taylor's Democratic challenger in the Nov. 7 general election, Heath Shuler of Waynesville, shares similar views as Taylor on illegal immigration, securing the borders and amnesty.

"Along with any kind of arrangement you put on the border, troops or barriers, you have to do something about employers who are willing to hire people who come here illegally," Tancredo said. "The jobs are a magnet to come into the country."

Part of the House bill requires employers to use the Social Security check system, he said. Use of the system is currently voluntary.

Several people were concerned about the health care costs associated with illegal immigration.

All hospitals that receive federal funding must give treatment in emergency rooms, even if people have no insurance or cannot afford to pay, Tancredo said.

"The illegal population has determined that all their health care needs can be met at the hospital," he said. "Many hospitals have had to close their emergency rooms, 11 just recently in California."

Tancredo said there was a billion dollar line item added to a congressional bill a year and a half ago for illegal immigrant health care.

Questions were fielded about the need for agricultural workers, jobs filled by many illegal immigrants.

Taylor said it is not necessary to come into the country illegally to work in agriculture.

The H2A visa currently allows an unlimited number of immigrants to enter the country legally to work in agriculture, Tancredo said.

With this visa, "there is no limit to numbers, no cap, but it does have requirements about how long they can stay and the housing provided," he said.

Tancredo said only 40,000 agricultural workers in the country take advantage of this visa.

Taylor said the 11th Congressional District is one of the first to begin training sheriff's deputies to enforce immigration law. Eight sheriff's departments in the district will take the new training, he said.

Transylvania County Commissioner Kelvin Phillips said his county was one of those sending deputies to the training.

"Illegal immigration is of utmost concern to me and should be a concern to all our citizens," Phillips said.

Moderator Larry Freeman of Radio WHKP 1450 AM said recent polls show that illegal immigration is important to about 75 percent of the American people.

Before Taylor and Tancredo began answering questions, Wiliam Gheen, president of Americans for Legal Immigration, spoke to the crowd.

"We support those people who legally come here," Gheen said. "But there are 6,000 to 10,000 tonight crossing the border illegally."

Gheen said 81 percent of Americans polled want local law enforcment involved in enforcement of laws on illegal immigration.

"We want the existing immigration laws enforced," he said. "Counties are telling the federal government, if you won't do the job, we will. Thirty-three states have passed immigration enforcement legislation."

Persons attending the public hearing included commissioners and councilmen from surrounding counties and cities, deputies from several counties in Western North Carolina and N.C. Reps. Trudi Walend and Carolyn Justus.

Telephone calls were received from counties throughout Western North Carolina.

"I came to show my support for Congressman Taylor and the fight they're putting up against illegal immigration," said Mason Sexton, a Republican candidate for Transylvania Board of Commissioners.

"I want to know the ways we can address illegal immigration on the local level," said Daryle Hogsed, also a GOP candidate for commissioner in Transylvania County.

"I heard Tancredo on the radio and I liked what he had to say and I agree with him," said 32-year-old Jeff Rupprecht.

Tancredo's spent five days in South Carolina before his Henderson County appearance. The four-term representative faces a challenge from Democrat Bill Winter on Nov. 7.

[AlturaCt]

Can't wait to get a first hand report on this. Besides W who else went to this?

[Brian503a]

Still waiting to hear from those that went to the event.

[Jean]

Still waiting to hear from those that went to the event.

Me too! Been checking here off and on today and no one is talking. Where is everyone???

[WavTek]

I was there. The news reports that said over 200 were in attendance, were definitely too low. The other report said about 350, which is still lower than I thought, but may be accurate. William did a great job wih his comments and Tancredo quoted W several times, in his comments. The crowd was overwhelmingly anti-illegal and was very responsive to the statements made by Taylor and Tancredo. There were some young, college students sitting in front of me, taking notes, apparently as a class project. They were about the only ones who were obviously pro-illegal, as they never applauded and were frequently shaking their heads in disapproval. There were two students among them that appeared to be hispanic. You could tell by their facial expressions, that they did not like what they were hearing. They both eventually left the room, about half way through the event.

I was personally, very impressed with Congressman Tancredo. His comments really moved me, like I haven't been moved in a long time. I got to speak with him briefly, after the event and the feeling I got from him, is that he really cares about our country and is committed to the fight. I told him that I hoped I was shaking the hand of the next President of the United States.

He said that he and his wife have recieved much hatred and threats from our adversaries and he asked that we all pray for them. He said there are very powerful forces aligned against us.

In his closing comments, Tancredo said that there is a cult of multiculturalism in our country, that puts down everything American and holds up the cultures of other countries. He said he has seen it in our schools and in the press. He said that when you combine the multiculturalism with mass illegal immigration, they pose a great threat to our nation.

I met several ALIPAC members there and many who were interested in our organization, after hearing William speak. William told me that ALIPAC would be making a contribution to Congressman Tancredo's re-election fund and I believe he said, eventually to Congressman Taylor as well. Both Congressman are definitely very vocal against illegal immigration.

I am so glad I attended, as it gave me a renewed spirit in our fight for border security and against illegal immigration.

[Jean]

Thank you for sharing your experience WavTek.

So many of us were there in spirit.

Yes, when we have strong forces against us, including the media, hard to get people to realize what is happening to our country. We shall continue trying anyway and I shall indeed pray for Tom Tancredo and his wife. Don't you wish we really knew who sends them hate mail?