Illegal immigration debate continues

North Carolina's illegal immigration problem should be solved at the federal level, according to three local legislators.

During a breakfast meeting hosted by the Kinston-Lenoir County Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Rep. Van Braxton D-Lenoir, Rep. William Wainwright D-Craven and state Sen. Charlie Albertson D-Duplin said the state has done everything it can to solve the illegal immigration issue locally.

Several residents, including Kinston City Council member Jimmy Cousins and newly-elected Lenoir County Commissioner Tommy Pharo asked why the state hasn't done more to battle illegal immigration.

Both Pharo and Cousins expressed their dissatisfaction with what Raleigh has done so far to solve the state's illegal immigration problem.

"The federal government should have solved the illegal immigration problem 20 years ago," Albertson told the audience. "I blame Congress."

Both Braxton and Wainwright also said illegal immigration should be dealt with by the federal government.

"It's a federal issue," Braxton said. "The government should clamp down on employers that are hiring illegal workers."

Cousins and Pharo said the state should be doing more than it has in solving the illegal immigration crisis.

"The federal government is not going to do anything about it," Pharo said.

Albertson said that state lawmakers are not in the immigration business, which prompted several hostile responses from the audience.

"Illegal immigrants are flooding our schools and our services are used by illegals," Cousins said. "We need rules and regulations at the state level."

Cousins added that illegal immigrants are taking jobs away from legal residents. The argument that North Carolina residents are unwilling to work jobs that illegal immigrants work is a fallacy, Cousins said.

Braxton said more work visas should be given to immigrants willing to work in the state.

"That is why they are coming here, because the jobs are here," Braxton said.

Currently, illegal immigrants are banned from enrolling in the N.C. community college system. They were previously allowed to enroll in the community colleges, paying out-of-state tuition.

Albertson said there are about 12 million illegal immigrants living in the nation. North Carolina is one of several states experiencing high growth in both its legal and illegal immigrant populations, he said.

Albertson suggested that illegal immigrants should not be denied higher education in the community college system.

"What do we do with them?" Albertson asked the audience. "Illegal immigrants are allowed to get a public education as children and when they graduate do we deny them higher education all together?"

Cousins said the state supports "feel-good" policies regarding illegal immigration.

"The federal government has not done its job," Albertson responded. "They need to solve it and get it behind us."

Chris Lavender can be reached at (252) 559-1078 or clavender@freedomenc.com.