Tag: arizona

Why NC anti-immigrant bill should be called the “Repo” Act

April 29, 2013 at 2:21 pmCategory:Uncategorized

by

Towed carHB 786, or the RECLAIM NC Act, should be called the “Repo” Act.

Most of the attention in the RECLAIM –er, Repo Act — has been focused on a provision that would provide a limited number of undocumented immigrants driver permits, or on the part cribbed from a racist Arizona bill that would allow law enforcement officers to arrest people they “suspect” might be undocumented immigrants.

One overlooked horror in this bill is Part X. This provision would impound and then sell at auction all the cars driven by anyone who is found guilty of driving without a license, whose insurance has lapsed and a few other similar violations.

Last fiscal year, more than 215,000 people were charged with one of those misdemeanors, according to statistics maintained by the Administrative Office of the Courts. If “Repo” were law in 2012, all the vehicles these people had been driving would have been impounded. Read More…

Arizona-style anti-immigrant bill heard in NC House committee (video)

April 24, 2013 at 3:45 pmCategory:Uncategorized

by

A North Carolina House Judiciary Committee held its first hearing on the “RECLAIM NC” Act today, an Arizona-style immigration bill sponsored by Rep. Harry Warren and 13 others (including a key member of Speaker Thom Tillis’ leadership team, Rep. Ruth Samuelson). The proposal includes a raft of anti-immigrant provisions, including making it harder for undocumented immigrants to post bond for minor criminal offenses, requiring them to pay for their own incarceration time, and making it easy to seize and impound cars of people caught driving without insurance or a proper license. 

The bill also includes the odd and controversial twist of “requiring” all undocumented immigrants to register for a “restricted driving permit,” which would not the same thing as a driver’s license. Representative Warren claims that the driver’s permit requirement is intended to make all drivers safer by identifying folks who are driving on state roads.  This claim is belied, however, by the fact that bill: a) requires undocumented immigrants to register for a state ID card even if they have no intention of driving at all, and b) excludes many people from obtaining the driving permit at all.

Probably the most telling moment of this morning’s hearing was when the committee discussed the “show me your papers” provision, and Representative Rick Glazier asked  Warren how a law enforcement officer could form a “reasonable suspicion” that someone was in the country without papers. Watch the exchange here:

YouTube Preview Image

As you can see, Read More…

NC groups to respond to expected SCOTUS decision on Arizona SB1070

June 22, 2012 at 3:29 pmCategory:Uncategorized

by

While the Obama administration has taken some steps in its stance on immigration issues, the U.S. Supreme Court continues to be somewhat sluggish in its decision regarding Arizona’s SB1070.

In similar spirit as protestors in Arizona, local NC groups and individuals in an alliance called “We are NC” will be holding events throughout the state, including an event in downtown Raleigh at 7pm in a “Teach-in and Silent Vigil.”

More information on the Raleigh event can be found on their facebook event page.

And also check out this documentary short following a local NC undocumented youth as part of a master’s thesis by UNC student Josh Davis. His full project, “the undocumentary,” here.