Thread: Bill to deny bail to illegal immigrants proposed in N.C.

Bill to deny bail to illegal immigrants proposed in N.C. House
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Offenses would include traffic violations
February 11, 2009 - 6:44 PM
Barry Smith
Freedom Raleigh Bureau
RALEIGH - Illegal immigrants charged with a number of offenses, including traffic violations, would be denied bail under a bill filed by two freshmen Republican lawmakers.

"For me, it's about trying to keep our communities safe," said Rep. Pearl Burris-Floyd, R-Gaston, one of the sponsors.

The bill would instruct magistrates to have a presumption that no condition of release would reasonably assure the appearance in court of a person not lawfully present in the United States if the person is charged with a sex offense, a violent felony, a driving offense, a drug offense or a gang offense.

A spokeswoman for El Pueblo, a Latino advocacy group, said the organization is still reviewing the bill.

Sarah Preston, legislative director for ACLU of North Carolina, said the bill was overly broad and would be expensive.

"It catches pretty much everyone, not dangerous criminals," Preston said.

Rep. Justin Burr, R-Stanly, the other bill sponsor, said the bill was intended to be broad.

"This is just a way to make sure these folks are being held and not put back on the streets," Burr said.

He said the bill is not meant to replace the current 287(g) program that is operating in a handful of North Carolina counties, including Alamance and Gaston. The program allows federal officials to hold illegal immigrants arrested in those counties.

"This would give them the ability to hold them statewide," Burr said.

Burris-Floyd and Burr said they did not know how much the bill, if it becomes law, would cost local governments who foot the bill for holding inmates in local jails.

Burr noted that one prevision in the bill would allow federal Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to reimburse the state for the cost of incarceration.

Preston said that there is no guarantee that the costs would be reimbursed.

"There's no agreement between ICE and the state," Preston said.

Preston noted that local sheriff's departments usually bear the cost of monitoring and feeding inmates in county jails.

"It's going to be quite costly to hold everyone," Preston said.

Preston said the bill could include some parking violations. She said it could also lead to racial profiling.

Burris-Floyd said that she intended the bill to include illegal immigrants who commit traffic offenses that cause serious bodily injury.

"If you're here illegally, the only time you are going to get caught is if you've done something wrong," Burris-Floyd said.

Burr added: "They shouldn't be out of jail anyways in my opinion. They need to be detained until they're deported."


http://www.kinston.com/news/bill_52867_ ... _burr.html

I support this bill! It's absurd to release illegal aliens back into our country once they're caught! The very act of releasing them is a violation of US immigration law seems to me. The only thing they're entitled to is deportation.

GO North Carolina!! Support this bill and get it passed pronto!

Burr added: "They shouldn't be out of jail anyways in my opinion. They need to be detained until they're deported."

AMEN to that!

Preston said the bill could include some parking violations. She said it could also lead to racial profiling.

Really? How do you racially profile a PARKED car? What a LAME excuse! Last time I checked, licenses are not issued based on race. They're supposed to be issued based on LEGAL presence. Illegal in the US? You don't belong here, you don't have permission to be here, you've broken more than one law here and you need to GET OUT of here!

Originally Posted by miguelina

Burr added: "They shouldn't be out of jail anyways in my opinion. They need to be detained until they're deported."

AMEN to that!

[quote:2ts9o12y]Preston said the bill could include some parking violations. She said it could also lead to racial profiling.

Really? How do you racially profile a PARKED car? What a LAME excuse! Last time I checked, licenses are not issued based on race. They're supposed to be issued based on LEGAL presence. Illegal in the US? You don't belong here, you don't have permission to be here, you've broken more than one law here and you need to GET OUT of here![/quote:2ts9o12y]



Exactly. Do vehicles of illegal aliens have their own " la raza"? Oh wait a minute! Of course they do, that would be "ca raza"!

It's a great idea but I really doubt it will be enacted. I'd rather be wrong on this than win the lotto.

Added to Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-3973--0-0.html

This is a common sense issue therefore will not be enacted by politicians .

Interesting. I don't think I've seen this at all in the Raleigh news reports.

Well, this is going to be my first post on a forum like this. so please be gentle cuz i'm sure there will be plenty of OMG once people get to know me.

I am completely for this change that they are trying to make in NC. and hope that it goes nationally eventually and can start at my apartments in South carolina.

I am of hispanic origin. I am not an Illegal immigrant nor are my parents.
But I have to agree with many of the viewpoints that are on this site.

My only question is this... does this distaste for the illegals extend further than mexico? I read alot of the articles and a large part of it is in the direction of the hispanic race.

again, I agree with a HUGE amount of what is posted and also with the articles. I pay taxes. I vote. I do jury duty and pay for my everything.
I am NOT a fan of ANYONE living off of me and my husband at all.

I feel that i need to put that out there because I know how judgemental people in groups can be and I can hold a great conversation.