News (Noticias) Tagged ‘Beaufort County’

Every suspected illegal immigrant booked in the Beaufort County jail since the beginning of the month — regardless of the severity of the crime — is being turned over to federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

It’s called Operation Surge, and local law enforcement officials say it’s the start of a major new crackdown on illegal immigrants in the county, home to one of the largest Hispanic communities in the state. “*

Beaufort County is one of the fastest growing counties in South Carolina, and one of fastest growing populations in Beaufort County is the Hispanic population, many of which are migrant farmers who travel to the area to work in the agriculture fields.

With the increase of the Hispanic population, came an increase in the challenges to provide essential services to this demographic. While the 911 call volume has increased every year for the City of Beaufort, the amount of emergency calls involving the Hispanic population remained constant with other populations, but fire officials still made reaching out to this group a priority.”*

Sheriff P.J. Tanner announced Monday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials will be training four local sheriff’s deputies to enforce federal immigration law in Beaufort County.

While training and technology costs will be covered by ICE, Tanner told Beaufort County Council members they will have to find roughly $320,000 in their budget to replace the four deputies being assigned to the new immigration task force. The council largely was congratulatory and indicated that finding the money wouldn’t be a problem.”*

Beaufort County in North Carolina, known for sweeping views of the Pamlico and Pungo rivers, is working toward a new distinction.

Leaders say they want to make their rural county in the eastern part of the state the toughest place in the country for illegal immigrants.

The county commissioners are meeting with a lawyer to help identify public services that can be denied to illegal immigrants. And in cases where it is not legal to exclude people, they say they may eliminate programs entirely _ including federally funded prenatal care for poor women _ in an attempt to drive illegal immigrants from the county.”*

Juvencio Peralta wants political groups and civic-minded citizens in Beaufort County to reach out to the county’s Hispanic population. At a get-out-the vote seminar hosted by Democracy North Carolina on Saturday, he said engaging Hispanics in the voting process was a challenge all 100 North Carolina counties are facing.

“Duplin county has one of the largest Latino populations in the state with an immigration history that goes back to the mid-1970s,” he said. “But, there are only 234 registered Latino voters there. There is a lot of work to be done.”

Peralta, president of the Mexican Association of North Carolina, said the ratio of Hispanics to Hispanic voters in Duplin county was typical of populations throughout eastern North Carolina. Eighteen percent of Greene County’s population is Hispanic but only 65 are registered to vote. Only about 4 percent of Beaufort County’s 43,000-plus residents are Hispanic. That comes to about 2,000 Hispanics, but only 85 are registered to vote, he said.”*

*From: http://www.wdnweb.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

eople calling Beaufort County offices will no longer have the option of picking the Spanish language.

The commissioners voted Monday night to remove Spanish language assistance and instructions on county phone systems.”*

*From: http://www.witntv.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Two masked men with pistols robbed a north-island Latino market Tuesday night, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

The robbery at the Fairfield Square shopping center comes on the heels of a string of burglaries there in recent months.

At about 9 p.m., two men wearing camouflage shirts and dark pants entered La Guadalupana, 160 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island, and demanded cash — first in English and then in Spanish.”*

*From: http://www.islandpacket.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

“If English is not your native language, you probably don’t want to move to Beaufort County. At least, that’s the message that its county commission sent when it passed an English-only policy in February. This directive requires that all signs and informational material in all offices and property must be in English, and only English. Anything in any other language must be removed.

Beaufort County is not an isolated case; rather, it is just the latest in a growing list of local and state governments that have passed similar statutes. The city council of Landis passed an English-only ordinance about a year ago. Several other counties in our area, as well as the state legislatures of both North Carolina and South Carolina, have passed such measures. More than half of the other states have, also.”*

“If a hurricane comes, you want to know how to leave, where to go and when its safe to come back. But for a rapidly growing group of people in the Lowcountry, getting that information isnt always easy. Between 2000-2005, the Hispanic population in Beaufort County grew by 45 percent. In neighboring Jasper County it grew by 80 percent. Most of those people don’t speak English”

“Latino advocacy groups have warned Dorchester County officials that their plan to revoke the business license of anybody who hires illegal immigrants could end up in court.

Now that County Council has passed the ordinance, opponents are considering whether to challenge it or wait to see what happens in Beaufort County, which is also facing the threat of a lawsuit over a similar ordinance.”

“The Dorchester County Council passed an ordinance Monday allowing the county to revoke the license of any business that hires illegal aliens.

Beaufort County passed a similar ordinance last month and is facing the threat of a lawsuit.”

“A Hispanic civil rights group says it will likely sue Beaufort County unless it repeals an ordinance that says business who knowingly hire illegal immigrants could lose their business licenses.

The Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund sent a letter to county officials Wednesday, questioning whether the measure was legal and pointing out it could cause civil rights violations.”

“A company that knowingly hires illegal immigrants could lose its business license under a county law given final approval Wednesday evening.

Beaufort County Council unanimously approved the local law, dubbed the “Lawful Employment Ordinance,” 9-0, following a public hearing. It is set to take effect Jan. 1, 2008.

Under the ordinance, people who apply for a county business license must sign a form verifying, under penalty of perjury, they do not knowingly employ or plan to hire an illegal immigrant. Licensed companies would be subject to county audits of their employees’ documentation.”

“Companies that knowingly hire illegal aliens could lose their Beaufort County business licenses under a proposed county law set for a final vote tonight.
If its approved by the Beaufort County Council, the Lawful Employment Ordinance would take effect next year.”

“Opponents of a proposed illegal immigration ordinance warned the Beaufort County Council on Monday that the controversial measure is creating a hostile environment for Hispanics and urged the council to slow down the debate.

The council, meanwhile, voted 9-1 to approve the “lawful employment ordinance” on second reading. It also agreed to have a special meeting Dec. 27 to take a final vote, despite requests by two newly elected council members to delay the vote until after Jan. 2, when six new council members will be sworn in.”

“Immigration is one of the hottest topics in the Americas, and cracking down on illegals is controversial. In the Low Country, some residents want Beaufort County to crack down on businesses hiring illegal workers.

Beaufort County was supposed to have the third and final reading of the proposal Monday night, but it didn’t happen.”

“A critical component of a proposed Beaufort County ordinance that aims to eliminate illegal immigrants’ local job opportunities has significant shortcomings, according to a federal report, though the ordinance’s chief proponent is undeterred.

An August 2005 report of the Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan congressional agency that audits federal programs, highlights merits and flaws of the federal Basic Pilot Program. The program is a free, Web-based system that aims to verify employees’ immigration status.”

“The newly opened Clinica de la Mama has a slogan that places it in the center of the brewing illegal-immigration debate in Beaufort County: “We worry about your health, not your legal status.”

The for-profit prenatal care clinic opened on Hilton Head Island last week. It aims to provide an alternative for uninsured mothers-to-be, many of whom are undocumented, said Ed Cota, Clinica de la Mama’s owner.”

Between this county on the east coast and Farmers Branch in Texas, don’t you think it is time for the federal government to do something?

“A packed crowd of mostly Hispanic residents spilled out of the Beaufort County Council’s chambers Monday to stand in support of impassioned arguments against a proposed illegal immigration ordinance.

But the fate of the controversial proposal now hinges on a pending legal opinion analyzing its constitutionality and not on the dozens of heartfelt appeals from residents on both sides of the issue.”

“A group of more than 80 community members and Hispanic business owners met at Ebenezer Church in greater Bluffton on Wednesday night to learn about Beaufort County’s proposed illegal-immigration ordinance.

Many of the attendees didn’t know the details about the ordinance. It largely targets undocumented workers by revoking licenses from businesses that employ illegal immigrants and allows anyone to file a complaint against a business suspected of employing illegal immigrants.”

“Community and business leaders are beginning to organize opposition to Beaufort County’s proposed illegal-immigration ordinance, with plans for several appearances before county officials to protest a measure they say could become a burden for business owners.

A group of about seven businesses representing the construction, landscaping, food and beverage, real estate, and other industries have been meeting with other supporters over the past week and a half to oppose the ordinance, which is scheduled for discussion today before the county Community Services and Public Safety Committee. The business group is represented by Melissa Azallion, a Hilton Head immigration and labor attorney.”

“Community and business leaders are beginning to organize opposition to Beaufort County’s proposed illegal-immigration ordinance, with plans for several appearances before county officials to protest a measure they say could become a burden for business owners.

A group of about seven businesses representing the construction, landscaping, food and beverage, real estate and other industries have been meeting with other supporters over the past week and a half to oppose the ordinance, which is scheduled for discussion Wednesday before the

county Community Services and Public Safety Committee. The business group is represented by Melissa Azallion, a Hilton Head immigration and labor attorne”