Dozens Come Out in Charlotte to Protest NC Immigration Bill

CHARLOTTE, N.C.–“We are not going to stand for this, we are united. We do not stand with racial profiling, we do not stand with the attacks on our community,” said Action NC Director Hector Vaca at a march on Friday.

 

The Latin American Coalition organized the protest leading dozens of protesters on a march from Marshall Park to the Government Center in Uptown.

 

“We pay taxes, we grow the economy. For us to be attacked like this, and kind of tried to be kicked out of the state, we’re like, why? We’re giving a lot of money to the State and done a lot for North Carolina. Why are you trying to kick us out?” says Jessica Contreras.

 

Governor Pat McCrory signed House Bill 318 on Wednesday.The protect North Carolina Workers Act means government agencies have to use the e-verify system to check the legal status of job applicants and contractors.

 

It also means immigrants can no longer use their Country issued IDs for identification. That’s making things difficult for people like Fernando Guadarrama.

 

“I tried to work to get my G.E.D., but I can’t go to school because I don’t have no identification.”

 

Charlotte, dubbed a sanctuary city, a term given to cities that protect undocumented workers, now seen as a city that could start targeting them.

 

“The whole point of this bill is to attack immigrants,” says Vaca.

 

Blaming Governor McCrory for not doing enough.

 

“What happened to you? You know, a lot of people were saying, when he was mayor he was trying to do a lot of work with the immigrant community, and now he is attacking us,” says Contreras.