Thread: W quoted: NC Lawmakers hear impassioned arguments on illegal immigration

NC Lawmakers hear impassioned arguments on illegal immigration

Reporter: Cullen Browder
Photographer: Keith Baker
Web Editor: Matthew Burns


RALEIGH, N.C. —Dozens of people spoke out Wednesday on whether North Carolina should regulate immigration as state lawmakers consider how to clamp down on the flow of illegal immigrants.

The House Select Committee on the State's Role in Immigration held a two-hour public hearing on the issue, but committee leaders said further meetings would be put off until the fall as the state awaits a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the legality of tough immigration restrictions in Arizona.

"If you're not here legally, you are stealing from all the rest of us," Cindy Caribou told lawmakers. "We cannot just open everything to everybody in the world."

Several ministers said Christianity calls for people to help the downtrodden, including foreigners, and immigrant advocates said punishing illegal immigrants creates more problems than it solves.

Patricia Adams of the group We Are North Carolina said immigrant workers, many of whom are undocumented, are a critical component of North Carolina's agricultural industry.

"We want our state to actually be inclusive, honorable and just, not just seem that way," Adams said. "Legislators should stop dividing our communities and instead work for policies that unite us and make us stronger."

The Pew Hispanic Center estimates North Carolina ranks ninth in population among the states with what it calls 325,000 unauthorized immigrants, defined as foreign-born citizens of other countries who aren't legal immigrants.

The Republican-controlled state House is considering measures similar to laws enacted in Alabama and Arizona that restrict access to public services by undocumented workers and empower local law enforcement officers to identify those in the country illegally.

Federal authorities who enforce immigration laws have generally discouraged such state-based initiatives.

William Gheen, president of the Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee, expressed frustration with lawmakers, saying they have ignored addressing the immigration issue for years.

"Stop being cowardly. Get on board with the brave heroes down in Arizona," Gheen said. "If we go through another year without significant immigration enforcement laws in North Carolina, the public out there threw the Democrats out of power after 133 years, and one of the biggest issues on their minds was illegal immigration.

"If we've got to throw out Sen. (Phil) Berger as president (pro tem) of the Senate and Thom Tillis down as the speaker of the House, let's do it," he said.

The North Carolina Farm Bureau is urging lawmakers to take a measured approach to the immigration issue, running ads that show the damage to the agriculture industry in states that have adopted strict rules.

"There's a lot of undocumented labor in agriculture," Henderson County nursery owner Bert Lemkes said after Wednesday's hearing.

Lemkes wants an easier process to provide work visas, not a harder one. A tough stance by North Carolina lawmakers would be "an absolute disaster" for the industry, he said.

The House committee held two previous meetings on the immigration issue. The last meeting was disrupted near the end by a handful of young Hispanics wearing T-shirts saying "Undocumented and Unafraid."

Uriel Alberto, Estephania Mijangos-Lopez and Cynthia Martinez, who are members of the pro-immigrant group N.C. Dream and say they are undocumented, were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

Committee Co-Chairman Harry Warren warned speakers Wednesday that disruptions wouldn't be tolerated, and he even asked the audience to stop applauding after each speaker finished to maintain order in the hearing.

Lawmakers hear impassioned arguments on illegal immigration :: WRAL.com

Thank you William! I "tried" to watch the video on wral about today's proceedings, but the front end was so loaded with the opposition I couldn't get past about 20 minutes of it.

I wish I could have been there, but I do thank you! You are my hero of the day...LOL!

"Stop being cowardly. Get on board with the brave heroes down in Arizona," Gheen said. "If we go through another year without significant immigration enforcement laws in North Carolina, the public out there threw the Democrats out of power after 133 years, and one of the biggest issues on their minds was illegal immigration.

"If we've got to throw out Sen. (Phil) Berger as president (pro tem) of the Senate and Thom Tillis down as the speaker of the House, let's do it," he said.

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BRAVO, William.

Professional politicians have two primary motivators:

#1: Votes

#2: Money

We were outnumbered by illegal alien supporters 2 to 1 and Speaker Thom Tillis had the results of No Action from this committee lined up before any of us ever got there.

W

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

We were outnumbered by illegal alien supporters 2 to 1 and Speaker Thom Tillis had the results of No Action from this committee lined up before any of us ever got there.

W

I got that impression from watching a little of the video, they always do it like this. WE have to work on week days while they have time on their hands...

Thank you for standing up for us, William! I'm so sorry it was a rough day.

THANK YOU!!! Wish I couldve been there too! Maybe next time. In the meantime I'll certainly stay on top of Calling, Emails, and Faxing!..

NC legislators delay action on immigration
By: BERT GUTIERREZ | Winston-Salem Journal
Published: March 28, 2012 Updated: March 28, 2012 - 5:14 PM
» 1 Comments

RALEIGH --
Winston-Salem immigration activist Uriel Alberto, dressed in a suit and tie, sat quietly Wednesday in the audience during a sometimes-tense meeting of a state legislative immigration panel – a month after he was arrested on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct stemming from his protest during the panel's previous meeting Feb. 29.

"I came to demonstrate to the people that it's unacceptable to be afraid," said Alberto, 24. "Just because some of the opponents of immigration are the ones that speak the loudest, it doesn't mean that North Carolina is represented by them. I think that this is a welcoming state, and I think North Carolinians welcome reform on immigration, especially on education."

The leaders of the panel, which was set up to examine what North Carolina can do to crack down on illegal immigration, say they do not plan to recommend any new legislation this year.

Several pastors, immigrant-advocacy leaders and unauthorized immigrants were at the meeting. Of the 35 speakers, 27 spoke in favor of immigrants, including those who do not have legal permission to be on the United States.

Among the opponents was James Johnson, the president of N.C. Fire, an organization that produces reports on crimes committed by "suspected illegal aliens." He said that North Carolinians welcome legal immigration, but they should not be made to bear the costs of illegal immigration, such as "rampant and unchecked" criminal activity, as well as his perceived burdens on schools, law enforcement and jobs, among other areas.

"If you do not pass very strong immigration enforcement measures immediately, we will be unable to absorb the influx and associated costs of illegal aliens that are currently self-deporting from the other states" with strong enforcement measures, Johnson told the committee members. "Now, the committee … is being asked by the pro-illegal-immigration groups represented here today to exempt a certain group of people from our laws … simply because of their … lack of personal responsibility in applying for and attaining citizenship. This entire situation makes no sense."

Committee co-chairman Rep. Harry Warren of Rowan County said Wednesday he and other Republican leaders have decided to wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on Arizona's anti-illegal immigration laws, which have been challenged by the U.S. Justice Department. The court is expected to hear arguments in the case this summer.

Warren said this year's planned short session is not the time to take up complicated legislation that could face a similar legal challenge without waiting for the high court to rule.

"Our goal is to address the problem of illegal immigration," Warren said. "This is going to be a short, short session. I wouldn't expect us to get knee deep into anything."

North Carolina's legislature works on a two-year cycle, with lawmakers typically avoiding controversial issues in the abbreviated legislative session that comes during an election year.

Still, there has been mounting pressure on the Republican majority swept into power in 2010 to follow the lead of other GOP-controlled legislatures in Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and other states that have enacted tough new laws barring illegal immigrants from accessing public services and empowering local law enforcement officers to check the immigration status of people they suspect are in the country illegally.

The decision of GOP leaders in the North Carolina House not to pursue immigration legislation this year came as something of a surprise to both sides in the debate over how to address undocumented workers living in the state.

Warren made the announcement at the very end of a two-hour long public hearing over potential immigration legislation. The meeting room was packed, split nearly evenly between those for and against new laws.

William Gheen, president of Americans for Legal Immigration, suggested that the Republican leaders would be "cowardly" not to pursue anti-illegal immigration legislation this year. He said House Speaker Thom Tillis and Senate leader Phil Berger, both Republicans, should "get on board with the brave heroes" in states that had enacted new laws. If they don't, Gheen said, he and other activists will work to unseat them.

"Let's throw out whoever we have to," Gheen said.

Among those who spoke during Wednesday's public hearing were high school students and recent graduates brought to the United States illegally by their parents when they were children. Under state law, they cannot get driver's licenses and may not qualify for college programs.

Giovanna Hurtado, 22, came to North Carolina when she was 6 years old. The Yadkin County resident said she is undocumented and that her immigration status means she is under constant threat of being removed from the only home she knows. She considers herself an American, whether or not she has the papers to prove it.

"I don't know what Mexico looks like, I don't have memories" Hurtado said, speaking without any trace of an accent that might betray her national origin. "This is my home."

NC legislators delay action on immigration | JournalNow.com

State to delay action on illegals

By Patrick Gannon

Published: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at 4:44 p.m.

The General Assembly won't consider any significant legislation to address illegal immigration in this year's short legislative session, lawmakers said after a contentious two-hour public hearing on the issue.

About three dozen people on both sides of the immigration debate addressed the House Select Committee on the State's Role in Immigration Policy Wednesday afternoon at the Legislative Office Building.

At the end of the hearing, Rep. Harry Warren, R-Rowan, a committee co-chairman, said the committee would meet two more times this fall, then submit a report by the end of the year with recommendations for possible legislation in coming years. Among the recommendations, he said, could be a resolution to "encourage the federal government to do its job" in cracking down on illegal immigration.

Warren said the 2012 legislative session, which begins May 16, is expected to be a "short, short session" in which controversial topics such as immigration are unlikely to surface.

Rep. Frank Iler, R-Brunswick, the other co-chairman, said the state should wait to see how the U.S. Supreme Court comes down on challenges to strict new anti-immigration laws passed by other states before pursuing new legislation in North Carolina that could end up in expensive court battles. The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments in a case challenging Arizona's anti-illegal immigration laws this summer.

Nonetheless, committee members heard from 36 speakers out of 61 who signed up to speak on Wednesday. Because of time constraints, speakers were given three minutes, and a committee clerk pulled numbers out of a bowl to determine who would speak next.

Maudia Melendez, executive director of Jesus Ministry Inc. in Charlotte, said illegal immigrants were "invited" to a "desolate" North Carolina more than two decades ago to help develop it but now are often treated poorly. She said Hispanic immigrants are people of faith who attend churches throughout the state.

"Have mercy on the immigrants and stop calling them all of the things you think they are," Melendez said.

But James Johnson, of North Carolinians for Immigration Reform and Enforcement, or NCFIRE, said North Carolina lawmakers have done little to deter illegal immigrants from coming to the state and costing taxpayers to educate, incarcerate and provide medical treatment to them. He recommended strong immigration enforcement legislation as other states have passed recently.

"The citizens of North Carolina have suffered enough," Johnson said.

Committee members also heard from clergy members, undocumented immigrants and others who oppose new anti-illegal immigration laws.

"Legislators should stop dividing our communities and instead work for policies that unite us and make us stronger," Patricia Adams said.

Juan Ramos said he was a high school senior and an undocumented immigrant with an uncertain future. He asked committee members for "opportunities," but said they could choose to hold him back if they wish.

"Just to let you know," he said, "I'm not scared."

And members heard from members of groups who want to see the state enact tougher immigration laws like Arizona and Alabama.

William Gheen of Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, or ALIPAC, said illegal immigrants are contributing to an "aggressive invasion" of North Carolina, contributing to "mass lawlessness" and taking jobs from Americans in the construction and hospitality industries. He urged lawmakers to take a stand or risk getting voted out of office.

"I'm asking you to be bold. I'm asking you to be just. I'm asking you to move now," he said.
Because of the controversial subject and disturbances at previous committee meetings, the hearing was tightly controlled, and Warren warned the crowd that anyone who disrupted it would be arrested. Warren asked audience members a couple times to stop applauding after speakers finished their comments.

Some audience members who oppose new immigration laws then started raising their hands and moving their fingers to silently indicate applause, and Warren put a stop to that as well.

Ilario Pantano, a candidate for Congress in the 7th Congressional District, signed up to speak but his number wasn't chosen from the bowl.

"I'm deeply disappointed that a veteran of two wars was not able to give testimony, but that five self-admitted illegals were," said Pantano, a former Marine.

Pantano has made fighting illegal immigration one of the focal points of his primary campaign against state Sen. David Rouzer, R-Johnston.

State to delay action on illegals | StarNewsOnline.com

Maudia Melendez, executive director of Jesus Ministry Inc. in Charlotte, said illegal immigrants were "invited" to a "desolate" North Carolina more than two decades ago to help develop it but now are often treated poorly. She said Hispanic immigrants are people of faith who attend churches throughout the state.

Ah yes, the first speaker! I almost turned the video off because she turned EVERYTHING around:
invited here by whom may I ask? They used to come and work as seasonal help, and then while I was living in Canada they just decided to stay!
Help develop what? They are intent on destroying NC... it's a filthy State now. They refuse to use trash cans, I doubt many of them even know what they are! Why walk 10 steps to the garbage can when you can just drop it right where they stand.

And the very WORST was when she demanded illegals are people of faith... as if Americans are heathens! Believe me, you could be in Church all day on Sunday.... but the rest of the week is what counts! Guess the Ten Commandments are for Sunday ONLY. THOU SHALL STEAL EVERY DAY BUT SUNDAY. What a crock, made me want to just puke.