On Thursday, a bill requiring sheriffs to coordinate with federal immigration authorities passed the North Carolina Senate along party lines as protesters watched from the audience.
House Bill 10 passed 28-16, with Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed.
The specific question at issue is what happens when someone is arrested and then released from county jail, meaning they post bail or the charges are dropped, but then… ICE contacted the local sheriff and requested that he be held in jail despite the summons. They were released because they believed they may be in the country illegally.
The bill would only require sheriffs to investigate the immigration status of people charged with felonies or gross misdemeanors, such as domestic violence. Republican Sen. Danny Britt, R-Robeson, said the move is aimed at protecting undocumented immigrants who, for example, are pulled over on their way to work and could be arrested for driving without a license or other traffic violations. He said there was.
Britt said the agriculture and construction industries rely heavily on immigrant labor, many of whom are not in the country legally, and that widespread deportation of these people would have a negative impact on the state’s economy. Admitted.
“We’re talking about violent criminals,” Britt said of the bill’s focus. “We’re not talking about hard-working individuals.”
Two previous versions of the controversial proposal were vetoed by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. In both cases, Republicans were unable to muster the votes to override his vetoes. But Republicans now have a veto-proof supermajority, making the bill (House Bill 10) likely to pass.
The bill passed the state House last year, and now that it has passed, the Senate must return to the House for final approval before going to Cooper’s desk, which is expected to happen soon. ing.
Sen. Mujtaba Mohamed, D-Mecklenburg, said the bill, if passed, would likely have a negative impact on public safety and reduce the chances of victims of violent crimes getting closure.
In his many years working as a public defender in Charlotte, Mohamed has never seen a case in which a defendant was taken by ICE, only to be returned to a local detention center to stand trial for the crime he actually committed. He said there was no one.
“What kind of dignity does that give to victims of violent crimes?” Mr. Muhammad asked in a speech on the Senate floor Thursday. “…This bill essentially allows defendants to leave North Carolina without being charged.”
Republicans dismissed Mr. Muhammad’s criticism, saying they had not heard similar concerns from lobbying groups representing prosecutors.
Election, economic impact
The debate over the bill comes as polls show immigration could become a key focus for Republicans in elections for president, governor and other key positions this year.
“North Carolina cannot be made into a sanctuary for illegal immigrants,” Robinson said.
Robinson’s main opponent in the gubernatorial race, Democratic candidate Josh Stein, declined to say what he thought about the bill. Instead, he issued a statement expressing more general support for law enforcement.
“When someone is convicted of a crime, especially a violent crime, we will hold them accountable,” Stein said. We are focusing on policy.”
A WRAL News poll in March found that Republican voters ranked immigration as the most important issue. The poll found that most Democratic and independent voters agreed that immigration from Central and South America should be slowed or stopped altogether, although they felt less urgent than Republican voters.
But as Britt said Thursday, such a crackdown could have a negative impact on the state’s economy. In 2020, two-thirds of all U.S. farm workers were foreign-born, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates. Most of them were not in the country legally.
As WRAL reported in March, the North Carolina Department of Commerce said immigration is necessary and will continue to be necessary to sustain the economy. The agency notes that as the state’s population steadily ages and Americans have fewer children, “immigrants will play an increasingly important role in supporting the workforce and strengthening North Carolina’s economic trajectory.” They compiled a report that concluded,
Immigrants and naturalized citizens in North Carolina are more likely to be employed or looking for work than mainland-born Americans, with 68.6% of the foreign-born population entering the labor force, according to a state commerce analysis of census data. 59.8% of the foreign-born population participates in the labor force. People born in America.
