Tag: immigrants

Fate of Alabama anti-immigrant law a lesson for NC and other states

November 5, 2013 at 8:30 amCategory:Uncategorized

by

Immigrants ICEA recent court settlement in Alabama should serve as a warning to North Carolina legislators who still seek to pass anti-immigrant laws. Alabama agreed to settle two law suits brought against it after the passage of its harsh anti-immigrant law, HB 56, in 2011.  Both immigrants’ rights groups and the U.S. Department of Justice sued Alabama over different parts of the law, and both those suits settled last week.

Previously many of the harshest provisions of the Alabama law had already been temporarily blocked by courts, and in the new settlement, Alabama agreed that those provisions would never go into effect, including a provision requiring public schools to verify the immigration status of students, and one preventing all contracts with undocumented immigrants. The permanent blocking of those harmful provisions is a huge victory for immigrants in Alabama and across the nation.

Most of the parts of the law that are now permanently blocked in Alabama never made it into North Carolina’s omnibus immigration bill, HB 786, which was proposed in 2013.  However, several provisions in Alabama’s law were identical or similar to those proposed here, and their fate in this recent settlement should be of interest to state lawmakers.

North Carolina legislators, for example, Read More…

Day of the Dead event will lift up fallen farmworkers

November 1, 2013 at 10:25 amCategory:Uncategorized

by

From the good folks at the Farmworker Advocacy Network:

FarmworkersFarmworkers’ Day of the Dead celebration calls for new life in labor issues
Remembering the dead, holiday highlights workers’ plight, lax state protections

RALEIGH, NC – Gathering this Saturday to remember fallen field and poultry workers, North Carolina farmworkers and human rights advocates are set to observe the Day of the Dead in light of current labor hardships. Workers and members of the Farmworker Advocacy Network will gather after El Centro restaurant’s Day of the Dead 5K Run/Walk in downtown Raleigh in honor of the holiday, in which friends and families assemble to celebrate lost loved ones. This year advocates will gather around a traditional Day of the Dead altar at El Centro at 11 a.m. to remember farmworkers who died on the job in North Carolina, including nine children over the last decade. Read More…

Hump day lunch links

September 18, 2013 at 12:25 pmCategory:Uncategorized

by

lunch

Here are some of the important policy matters we’re watching at mid-week:

Wos Watch: Reporters Laura Leslie of WRAL, Joe Neff and Lynn Bonner of the News & Observer have the scoop on the latest wacky hire at the Department of Health and Human Services. Meanwhile, Travis Fain of the Greensboro News & Record has compiled a list of what might be termed Aldona’s Greatest Hits (or Misses).

Greed and inequality watch: There’s another report out panning the so-called “Trans-Pacific Partnership.” According to researcher David Rosnick of the Center for Economic Policy Research, most U.S. workers would actually experience a net negative impact from the proposed trade deal that’s currently under negotiation And, of course, you can learn lots more about this critical but underreported story at next Thursday’s NC Policy Watch Crucial Conversation luncheon with global trade expert Lori Wallach of the group Public Citizen. Some seats still remain – click here for more info.

Greed and inequality watch – Part II: National Common Cause chairperson and veteran economic justice advocate Robert Reich appears to be garnering quite a bit of well-deserved attention for his new flick: “Inequality for All.” You can watch the official trailer here and an extended interview with Jon Stewart here.  

Knuckleheaded bigot watch: Read More…

High Point paper: “Give us some facts, Governor”

September 9, 2013 at 8:22 amCategory:Uncategorized

by

In case you missed it, the editorial page of the newspaper at the heart of the state’s furniture industry (the High Point Enterprise) didn’t take to kindly to Governor McCrory’s rather odd attack last week in which he claimed that members of the industry helped override his veto of an immigration bill because they wanted to hire undocumented workers. This is from an editorial posted late Friday:

“Our reaction upon first hearing Republican Gov. Pat McCrory’s comment was: ‘Well, that’s a pretty irresponsible statement.’

Upon further review: Our call is confirmed.

On Wednesday, the GOP-controlled General Assembly overrode McCrory’s veto of a bill broadening state exemptions for using the federal E-Verify system to check immigration status of workers. During a State Board of Education meeting after the Legislature’s vote, McCrory said:

“Some of the manufacturers in towns like High Point worked hard for this bill because they, frankly, want to hire illegal immigrants as opposed to North Carolina workers and paying good wages.”

It’s ironic that McCrory’s comment came amid an educational setting, because his remarks certainly were neither very smart politically — nor factual. Read More…

Immigration reform would benefit North Carolina’s economy

June 27, 2013 at 12:07 pmCategory:NC Budget and Tax Center

by

The author of this post is Jelicia Diggs, an intern with the NC Budget and Tax Center

Comprehensive immigration reform will result in revenue gain for states, according to an economic and a fiscal analysis prepared by the Congressional Budget Office on the Senate Immigration reform measure last week. CBO projects that this bill will increase the labor force and expand the American economy by increasing the number of non-citizens allowed to lawfully enter the United States on both temporary and permanent bases.

Immigrants play an essential role in sustaining the economy of North Carolina, and currently comprise nearly 10 percent of the state’s work force. With the adoption of this bill, North Carolina, along with the rest of the U.S., will see economic gains. These gains will outweigh the costs anticipated from the expanded eligibility for public services. Read More…