House speaker pushes for increased immigration cooperation

(The Center Square) – Burglaries, embezzlement, fraud, forgery and drunk driving are proposed additions that would require lawmen to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in North Carolina.

The Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act, or House Bill 318, was introduced by the speaker of the state House of Representatives on Wednesday. Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, said there is an unmistakable message to be heard.

“Let me be clear: illegal aliens who commit crimes in our state must go,” Hall said in a release. “This new legislation delivers a decisive message: North Carolina will not be a sanctuary for criminal illegal aliens, and protecting our citizens remains our top priority.”

The Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act is led by, in addition to Hall, Republican Reps. Carson Smith of Pender County, Brenden Jones of Columbus County and Brian Echevarria of Cabarrus County. Nine other lawmakers are cosponsors.

The bill language says that for each of those charges, “when any person is confined for any period in a county jail, local confinement facility, district confinement facility, satellite jail, or work release unit, the administrator or other person in charge of the facility shall attempt to determine if the prisoner is a legal resident of the United States by an inquiry of the prisoner, or by examination of any relevant documents, or both.”

Enactment would be immediate of the legislation becoming law.