- Archives

With one of the nation's fastest-growing illegal immigrant populations, North Carolina should make it more difficult for unlawful residents to vote and receive welfare, Repubicans senators said Wednesday. A measure filed last week in both the House and Senate would require proof of U.S. citizenship for someone to register to vote. Public assistance from state and local governments - such as Medicaid, food stamps and Work First - also would be limited to American citizens and people legally in the United States. Bill proponents said the illegal immigration problem in the state is overburdening the public medical services and the state budget. And they said their bill is not intended to be hostile to the nation's newest residents. "This is not about immigration," said Sen. Hugh Webster, R-Alamance, the bill's primary sponsor. "It is about criminal conduct." A report released this month by the Pew Hispanic Center found that an estimated 10.3 million undocumented immigrants lived in the United States last year. The study, based on an analysis of government data, said that number reflected an increase of about 23 percent from the 8.4 million undocumented immigrants here in 2000. The report found that, with 3 percent of undocumented immigrants living in North Carolina, the state has one of the fastest-growing populations of such newcomers. [more]