Thread: Official: Consumers Contribute To Illegal Immigration

http://www.nbc17.com/news/5503749/detail.html

POSTED: 5:37 pm EST December 9, 2005
UPDATED: 8:01 pm EST December 9, 2005

CARRBORO, N.C. -- American consumers and manufacturers are partly to blame for the steady flow of illegal immigrants across the country’s borders, said a Carrboro alderman serving on a national task force addressing the issue.

"You have to do -- you will do -- whatever it takes to feed your children," said John Herrera, part of a 22-member panel assembled by the National League of Cities.

The panel, which met in Charlotte this week, is expected to assess enforcement policies, educational opportunities, labor issues, health care and resources for children of immigrant families before providing policy recommendations next year.

Herrera said the push for low prices by consumers encourages companies to hire illegal immigrants to cut costs and provides a reason for even more people to move to the U.S. in search of employment.

"Every time we choose to buy something cheaper at our supermarkets, every time we want to eat a fresh papaya or tomato or fruit and we want the best price, we are encouraging and supporting this system," he said.

Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton blames lawmakers for allowing the problem to grow to current proportions over a long period of time.

"Turning a blind eye is a bad approach," Chilton said. "Take the problem seriously and say, 'Look, let's not turn a blind eye. Let's create a legal framework within which these folks can work here.' Put some limits on it, and make sure that we know who it is."

Officials in both North Carolina and Washington, D.C., are looking at revising policies on illegal immigrants, but no new legislation is expected anytime soon.

"It will get worse if we don't fix it, and we don't want to fix it right now," Herrera said.

In the meantime, he said people who migrate to North Carolina from other countries every year should be welcomed with open arms instead of arrested and deported.

"It's a God-given right for every single human being to live to his full potential, and it's very unfortunate that some people, just because you were born across this other line, won't have the same opportunities," he said.

This is the biggest load of BS ever!! "Baghdad Bob" has nothing on the lies thie guy is spewing.

I don't know if anyone remembers, but "Baghdad Bob" was Saddam's press officer, who said when the Americans invaded in 2003 they were being replled, when actually they were 10 miles from where "Bob" was talking, you could hear the cannon fire!!

Maybe we need to call this guy LaRaza Lier John.