Proposed smuggling bill

A bill would make it a crime to smuggle illegal immigrants.

Rep. Curtis Blackwood filed legislation that would make it a felony to transport for profit a person reasonably believed to be in the country illegally.

The Mecklenburg County Republican said he was not aware of any large-scale smuggling operations into North Carolina, which is more than 1,200 miles from the Mexican border.

But he said that the new law would give local law enforcement officials another tool when dealing with illegal immigrants.

"It makes perfect sense that if you're smuggling illegals in, you're breaking the law," he said.

The law also includes wording that says people charged must have reason to believe they were smuggling an illegal immigrant other than the person's race, religion or nationality. http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1414512.html