FAIR estimates that illegal immigration costs North Carolina taxpayers $1.3 billion annually. Read the full report to learn more about the impact of illegal immigration on NC.

NC Listen advocates these 4 basic immigration policies to combat illegal immigration and increasing legal immigration:

1. Enforce Immigration Laws and Control Our Borders
2. No More Amnesties
3. Return to Lower, More Sensible Legal Immigration
4. No More “Guest Worker” Programs – Americans Need Jobs

You can learn more about these policy recommendations on our Policy Page.

I have just returned on a family trip to the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks in Wyoming.  With all the geysers and hot air, one would think we were nearing Washington, DC.  But in reality the Parks were beautiful with great scenery and wildlife.  The water was actually clean.

While I was gone a Federal Judge ruled against the Arizona (immigration) law, but I am confident in appeal, the Arizona law will prevail. Kris Kobach, a constitutional professor, assisted with the legislation and he has had success in such matters. He has worked with the Immigration Reform Law Institute in the past and won cases.

REMEMBER TO ATTEND CONGRESSIONAL MEETINGS IN YOUR AREA WHEN YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE ON RECESS FOR THE NEXT 5-6 WEEKS AND HAVE PUBLIC EVENTS. ASK THEM THE TOUGH QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO ABOUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.  TO GET A HISTORY OF THE VOTING RECORD OF THE NORTH CAROLINA CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION ON IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION, VISIT NUMBERSUSA.

Our unemployment rate hovers at 9.5% nationally and the U6 total to include the unemployed and those working part-time but want and cannot find full-time work is at 16.5%, per the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics.  With our economy creating a positive 40,000 jobs a month recently, you can imagine how long it will take to lower the “real” unemployment rate.  Still no talk in Congress about the 7 million plus illegal immigrants working illegally in the USA, of which less than 12% are involved in agricultural work.

The Obama administration is taking legal action against Arizona to prevent their state Senate bill 1070 from becoming law, while continuing to ignore “sanctuary” cities in America who thwart federal immigration laws and openly announce they will refuse to enforce or obey them.  I suppose it is selective enforcement of the law based on politics.

Arizona is only trying to protect its citizens and partner with the federal government to solve a serious problem.

Immigration and controlling our borders are federal duties listed in our Constitution.  No one has to make it up.  Arizona, however, is only mirroring federal law without attempting to deport anyone [deportation must be done by the Feds].  Congress passed immigration laws in 1996 which give states certain rights and the ability to help enforce immigration laws.   A large majority of American citizens support Arizona in its efforts.  Federal cases in the recent past have ruled that states have the right to enforce immigration laws.

With high unemployment one would think it would be important to make sure only legal residents can acquire jobs.  There are over seven million illegal immigrants working in American, and less than 12% of them are involved in agricultural related jobs.  The state of North Carolina has borrowed over $2.4 billion from the federal government since the end of 2008 to pay unemployment insurance claims.   I guess cheap illegal immigrant labor isn’t so cheap after all.

The New Hanover (N.C.) County Commissioners have passed a resolution supporting Arizona’s immigration state law. The resolution also calls on our State Legislature to pass a similar law.  Of course that opportunity was missed as North Carolina’s General Assembly just ended their session with the Democrat majority in charge not even allowing two separate resolutions to come up for a vote, requesting permission to bring up legislation similar to Arizona’s. In a recent NC Civitas statewide poll, 64% of North Carolina voters support the Arizona immigration law.

Yvonne Pagan, a member of N.C. Governor Beverly Perdue’s new Hispanic/Latino Advisory Council, was quoted in the Wilmington Star News as saying ”North Carolina isn’t facing the same (immigration) issues as Arizona”.   What planet is Ms. Pagan on?   Secondly, why isn’t there a Governor’s Advisory Panel on illegal immigration or a Governor’s Panel of reducing unemployment in our state?  I suppose Ms. Pagan isn’t aware that illegal immigrants are costing our state over $1 billion per year (see NC Impact) and that illegal immigrants are holding over 150,000 jobs in our state which have nothing to do with agriculture.

Isn’t it also interesting that the Obama administration’s Department of Justice is suing the state of Arizona over its state immigration law, which mirrors federal law.  All the while there are “sanctuary cities” in the USA which give illegal immigrants a free ride and thwart federal immigration law, but this same U.S. Department of Justice hasn’t gone after those city governments!   Maybe we need to change the name of the Department of Justice to the Department of Preferential Bias.

And to coin a phrase from Congressman Bilbray, “The Obama Administration is denying the State of Arizona the opportunity to do something, while the federal government takes the opportunity to basically do nothing.”

FACT:  The North Carolina General Assembly [aka State Legislature] is controlled by the majority party, the Democrats.  Their leadership has let us know they will refuse to allow state legislation to keep illegal immigrants from enrolling in our State Community Colleges from coming up for a vote in committee.  Last fall the NC Community College Board [mostly Democrat appointees by Democrat Governor Perdue] voted to allow illegal immigrants to attend our Community Colleges in order to be better trained to in effect take jobs from citizens and/or new jobs.  This in lieu of the fact that in our state we have over 10% unemployment.

FACT:  A resolution to permit the consideration of Arizona-like legislation in the North Carolina General Assembly was also disallowed for consideration by the Democrat leadership in this recent session.

FACT:  This is the fourth year in a row the state Democrat leadership [majority party in control] of the North Carolina General Assembly has kept legislation to take action against illegal immigrants (in ways the state can take action) from even being voted upon.  Bills are introduced [last year eleven of them, ten by Republicans] and the Democrat leadership refuses year after year to even allow a vote.  This year they said they didn’t have time, but they voted on numerous frivolous bills instead.  I guess pandering to illegal immigrants for future votes is most important to them, not what’s best for citizens, many of whom are unemployed.

FACT:  Today President Obama and his Dept of Justice have officially sued the State of Arizona over its immigration enforcement legislation.   The borders are porous, workplace enforcement under Obama is almost non-existent, and our government is now checking 100% of the trains going south into Mexico, not the other way around.   To sue Arizona is again an attempt to pander as much as possible to Hispanic voters before the November elections.  It is outrageous.

With the state budget nearing real completion, it is time to press for passage of NC Senate Bill S.1258 which would keep illegal immigrants from enrolling in our state Community Colleges.  The NC Community College Board [most are political appointees, ten of whom by the Governor] late last year gave approval for illegal immigrants to attend our state Community Colleges.

With over 10% unemployment in North Carolina (if not for temporary US Census Bureau workers and other government workers being hired last month, the unemployment rate in North Carolina would have actually increased by 3,200) our state should be focusing on putting citizens back to work, NOT training illegal immigrants for jobs.

We CAN stop this nutty policy to allow illegal immigrants access to our NC Community Colleges, but it will now take state legislation due to the vote of the NC Community College Board.

WE NEED YOU TO CALL THE FOLLOWING LEGISLATORS IN THE NC GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO TAKE ACTION ON NC SENATE BILL S.1258, BUT FIRST IT MUST BE ALLOWED TO COME UP FOR A VOTE IN THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE.