Greensboro community discusses controversial immigration law
Megan Feil
Issue date: 4/17/09 Section: News
On April 9, about 40 people from throughout the Greensboro community met at The HIVE, a collectively run not for profit community space in the Glenwood neighborhood, to discuss Guilford County's impending implementation of section 287 (g) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act.
Greensboro resident Rafael Torres shared a story, translated by Dwinther Abreu, about driving down Guilford College road when an officer from the Guilford County sheriffs department stopped his car. Sitting in the passenger's seat, his wife was asked for her identification.
"Racial profiling is happening here even without 287 (g)," said Joe Frierson, Beloved Community Center staff coordinator for the Greensboro Truth and Community Reconciliation Project. "If it's implemented, the difference will be that officer can take you to jail and run your name and determine immediately if you're legal. Then, if you're one of our friends without your cards then you could be detained until as long as it takes for ICE (Immigrations Custom Enforcement) to come and get you."
"By that time, you'd probably lose your job, your car, and communication with your family," said Yamile Walker.
According to the Government Office of Accountability's (GOA) January 2009 report, this legislation "authorizes the federal government to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies to train officers to assist in identifying those individuals who are in the country illegally." Such an agreement is referred to as a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
On March 30, the Greensboro News and Record reported on a public forum at the International Christian Church.
"My officers will only be checking on the status of anyone who has already been arrested for a crime," said Barnes to over 200 people in attendance. "If one of my officers sees you (in public), they are not going to come up to you and ask you what is your status?"
In April 2007, Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes applied for this agreement. program, which would be funded by a federal grant.
Greensboro resident Rafael Torres shared a story, translated by Dwinther Abreu, about driving down Guilford College road when an officer from the Guilford County sheriffs department stopped his car. Sitting in the passenger's seat, his wife was asked for her identification.
"Racial profiling is happening here even without 287 (g)," said Joe Frierson, Beloved Community Center staff coordinator for the Greensboro Truth and Community Reconciliation Project. "If it's implemented, the difference will be that officer can take you to jail and run your name and determine immediately if you're legal. Then, if you're one of our friends without your cards then you could be detained until as long as it takes for ICE (Immigrations Custom Enforcement) to come and get you."
"By that time, you'd probably lose your job, your car, and communication with your family," said Yamile Walker.
According to the Government Office of Accountability's (GOA) January 2009 report, this legislation "authorizes the federal government to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies to train officers to assist in identifying those individuals who are in the country illegally." Such an agreement is referred to as a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
On March 30, the Greensboro News and Record reported on a public forum at the International Christian Church.
"My officers will only be checking on the status of anyone who has already been arrested for a crime," said Barnes to over 200 people in attendance. "If one of my officers sees you (in public), they are not going to come up to you and ask you what is your status?"
In April 2007, Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes applied for this agreement. program, which would be funded by a federal grant.
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