Thread: VOTE IN SURVEY ON NC LAW TO PROHIBIT HIRING ILLEGALS

http://www.wral.com/news/5245626/detail.html

Are State's Hands Tied When Employers Hire Illegal Immigrants?

Illegal Immigrants' Arrests Raise Questions About Employers, State Laws

POSTED: 7:48 pm EST November 3, 2005
UPDATED: 8:11 pm EST November 3, 2005

JOHNSTON COUNTY, N.C. -- As federal immigration agents continue to crack down on illegal immigrants working in sensitive security areas, some people wonder why general businesses are not targets as well.

On Wednesday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained 21 people believed to be illegal immigrants working for construction companies at Camp Lejeune. It marked the fourth time in as many months that workers at military installations in North Carolina had been arrested.

Though general businesses such as Wal-Mart have had to pay up to $11 million for suspected illegal immigrants working in stores across the country, general businesses typically are not the targets of ICE investigations.

This allows thousands of employers who hire illegal immigrants to fly under the radar because the government does not make general employment a priority, said state Sen. Hugh Webster.

Webster, a Republican from Alamance County, said he thinks the system is a dangerous drain that requires taxpayers to support undocumented and uninsured workers.

"These people should not be brought into the workforce as some sort of gray market slave labor," he said.

Attorney Jorgelina Araneda defends workers and employers caught up in immigration troubles.

"They take the work that a lot of Americans do not want," Araneda said. "I think these workers contribute greatly to our economy."

Do you believe the state should have a law that prohibits employers from hiring illegal immigrants?

The rate of growth in the Triangle and the work that is available means the debate will not end anytime soon.

Solutions also can be hard to find.

In a way, the state's hands are tied.

There is no state law that prohibits employers from hiring illegal immigrants. That is the job of the federal government through ICE.

But, Areneda said, ICE does not have the force to locate illegal immigrants.

"That's why they do these random searches and leave employers in fear," she said.

Webster said he plans to re-introduce legislation that would require proof of citizenship to vote and to receive benefits.

Congress is also talking about immigration reform that will include a debate on a guest worker program.

Reporter: Kelcey Carlson
Photographer: Richard Adkins
Copyright 2005 by WRAL.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Should North Carolina have a state law that prohibits employers from hiring illegal immigrants?

Votes - 667

YES - 91%

NO - 8%

Don't Know - 1%

PLEASE VOTE!!!

Total of 729 voted so far.

Yes - 664 -91%

No - 58 -8%

Und 7 -1%

If the results of this poll are ever revealed on WRAL, will somebody please let me know.

We deleted them from our remote after that biased story they did about living conditions for migrant workers. They actually interviewed an illegal immigrant for the piece & said something like most of those living there were illegal.

This should have told anybody with half a brain this was an exception to the standard migrant living conditions. Anybody who hires illegals certainly isn't concerned about living conditions.

I emailed WRAL that they were protraying all farmers in a bad light but never received a response from them.

Deport illegals then we don't have to worry about their living conditions or who is hiring them.