Immigration

Like the rest of the country, North Carolina has been and still is strengthened by the continual flow of immigrants to our State. We are rich with a cultural diversity that constantly fuels our growth and promotes a promising future for our State and our children. It is impossible, however, to get our financial house in order without addressing the impact that illegal immigration has on our state economy. It is estimated that people in our state illegally cost in excess of $2.5 billion annually in healthcare, education and public safety and law enforcement. Addressing illegal immigration is not a racist issue, nor is it discriminatory, nor does it target a particular people. It is not a matter of nationality or ethnicity, it is a matter of legality.

It is the responsibility of the State government to protect it’s citizens just as surely as it is the responsibility of the Federal government to protect and secure the borders of our country. In consideration of the fact that our federal government continues to shirk its constitutionally mandated obligations to secure our borders and as the states surrounding us take measures to protect their citizens and their sovereignty, we must take similar actions to protect ourselves as well. To not act, is to invite. While we must take action to address the consequences that those who come here illegally are creating for our state, we will continue our historical tradition of welcoming those who come to our state legally seeking a better life for themselves and their children.

To begin, we must take the following steps :

A. Enhancement and strict enforcement of existing laws that support illegal presence ( manufacture & sale of fraudulent documents, driving w/o a license, insurance)

B  Prohibiting the employment of undocumented workers,( people here illegally).

    * Enforce compliance to the new E-verify law

    * Create a job placement (public / private) to match the unemployed with available work opportunities taken by undocumented workers

C. Pass legislation that will help identify a more accurate accounting of how many illegally present immigrants are in North Carolina

D. Adopt best practices of other States such as Arizona, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina that have been court approved. 

While not totally inclusive of all options available to us, these first steps will help close the door on people seeking to come here illegally. We must also help those industries within our state that rely on a large manual labor forces to sustain their businesses. I propose a co-operative effort between commerce and labor would reduce our unemployment rolls by referring legal, able bodied qualified workers to the positions available.

The message must be made that while North Carolina welcomes and supports legal immigration – but it is not and will not be a magnet or sanctuary for people ignoring the laws of our country or our state and entering our state illegally.