http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/n ... 935517.htm

Posted on Fri, Jun. 30, 2006

Foreigner effect on region shows
Immigration panel reaches midpoint of year-long analysis
FRANCO ORDOÑEZ
fordonez@charlotteobserver.com

What's the impact of immigration on Charlotte?

More than 10 percent of Mecklenburg County's population is foreign-born.

More than 10,000 students enrolled in Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools come from 102 countries and speak 83 languages.

The county's Hispanic population alone has grown 791 percent in the past 15 years.

These findings are part of an update given Thursday by the Mayor's Immigration Study Commission, which marked the midpoint in its year-long effort to study the impact of immigration on the city.

Mayor Pat McCrory says the growth, much driven by illegal immigration, has meant dramatic changes to the region.

The 29-member task force is broken into four subcommittees -- economic development, education, health care and public safety. Their charge is to break down the positives and negatives of immigration and recommend whether the city should, or can, implement legislation to address issues.

The task force is investigating several controversial issues, such as educating children of illegal immigrants and granting in-state tuition rates for undocumented immigrants at public institutions.

Key Findings

Education

• More than 40 percent of Limited English Proficient students enrolled in CMS over the past three years were born in the U.S.

• It cost $8,069 a year to educate a CMS student.

Public Safety

• 15 percent of county jail inmates are illegal immigrants.

• It costs $110 per night to house county jail inmate.

• DWI is a misdemeanor, thus generally not a deportable offense.

Economic Development

• A third of region's contracting industry is Latino.

• 9 percent of wages (or $800 million) in N.C. are sent to other countries.

• 473 foreign-owned firms, representing 33 countries, provide 30,000 jobs in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

Health care

• 54 percent of N.C. Latino adults are uninsured.

• Nearly a third of all Mecklenburg County Health Department patients are Hispanic.

• Its takes non-bilingual staff 17.65 percent longer to care for a non English-speaking patient.

• Carolinas Medical Center Clinics employ 11 interpreters at annual cost of $440,000.