Residents argue for tough bill

May 13, 2011

By Yvonne Wenger
The (Charleston) Post

Linda Rouvet had one message for those who argue that South Carolina should not do more to force illegal immigrants out of the state:

"Don't be so quick to give your country away."

Rouvet of North Charleston was one of a handful of anti-illegal immigration activists from the Lowcountry who came to the capital Thursday to show support for an Arizona-style bill. If passed, law enforcement officers in South Carolina would be required to check the immigration status of people during traffic stops and arrests that they suspect are in the country illegally.

The House Judiciary Constitutional Laws Subcommittee voted 3-2 to send the bill to the full House Judiciary Committee, moving it one step closer to becoming law this year. The Senate voted 34-9 in March to pass the bill.

Rouvet wore a black suit jacket over a white T-shirt that had printed on it "R.I.P." and a picture of her son Rand, 21, who was killed in a 2008 hit-and-run accident by an illegal immigrant without a driver's license.

"Illegal immigration is not a victimless crime," Rouvet told lawmakers.

Peggy Kandies of North Charleston described to lawmakers an attack and attempted rape, she said, an illegal immigrant committed against her last April.

"I don't want it to happen to your wives, your daughters, your mothers," Kandies said. "I want something done about it. I am begging y'all to do something about it."

The subcommittee took nearly two hours of testimony from about a dozen people, the majority of whom opposed the bill. But the lawmakers were not persuaded; they had the votes to pass the bill before the meeting started.

Patricia Ravenhorst and Mike Pinilla of the S.C. Victim Assistance Network offered anecdotes about immigrants, both legal and illegal, who were victimized, and how a trusting relationship between law enforcement and the community could be put in jeopardy by the pending bill.

Michelle Wang, a Chinese immigrant and owner of a string of Asian cuisines restaurants in the Columbia area, described her love for South Carolina and her fear for what the bill could mean for immigrants, foreign students or tourists, as well as the state's economy.

"I feel like I have to come forward," Wang said. "Last night I did not sleep."

Greg Torrales, a Columbia insurance agent and president of the S.C. Hispanic Leadership Council, said South Carolina is home to more Hispanics who are legal residents and citizens than illegal immigrants. The 2010 census showed that the state's population is 5.1 percent Hispanic, or 235,893 people, while the population of illegal immigrants is estimated to be 55,000.

"What does that tell us?" Torrales said.

Torrales, who is Hispanic, described a situation when he felt he was a victim of racial profiling by law enforcement in Greenwood. As he spoke, one audience member whispered, "Where is his birth certificate?"

Barbara Pulicicchio of Mount Pleasant said she was insulted by the suggestion that S.C. law enforcement officers will engage in racial profiling. She worked as a police officer for 10 years.

"Every single police officer is taught, when you stop somebody - it doesn't matter their color, if they're white, green, whatever - you ask for their driver's license. If they don't have it, then you question," Pulicicchio said. "That's not racially profiling. You could be purple. It doesn't matter."

In addition to the immigration status checks during traffic stops and arrests and other provisions, the bill would also allow the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation to issue new fines of between $15,000 and $50,000 to businesses that repeatedly have immigration compliance issues.

Also, the Labor Department would be authorized to seek additional documentation to verify a company's workers are in the country legally

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