Protesters challenge NC lawmakers who want to force sheriffs to work with federal immigration officers
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gonna have to work
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Can you guys see us with this here OK
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What the fuck
Hello everybody and welcome today we are here standing together
as a coalition standing against HP 10
My name is Gaby Garcia Vera
I am the deputy director of La Joya NC one
of North Carolina's many Latinx immigrant organizations working against such
racist horrible policies
We're proud to stand here in a coalition of members
across the state and with that we'd like to kick
off our program and we'd like to introduce Maria Zanna
uh house representative for district 41 Wake County
Oh goodness
Thank you for everybody gathering here today especially the Latino
community who this is being impacted so much by these
bills
These laws that are based from non knowledge non collaboration
non unity when it comes to our communities
So in specific today hb 10 resurfaced in the Senate
Rules Committee and will soon return to the Senate for
a vote
This is a bill that has been vetoed twice by
Governor Cooper
It mandates that sheriffs cooperated with ice and was designed
to target immigrant communities and strip sheriffs of their legal
and lawful local powers
Many of you are here today because you see the
injustice of the of this bill and you're here today
because either you or someone you love has a story
of mistreatment or wrongful deportation or you are here because
you are motivated by the love that you feel for
your immigrant neighbors or you're here because you see a
better future a better form of justice than this bill
proposes
As I don't know if all of you know that
North Carolina is home for a growing immigrant community a
growing Latino community equaling 13.6% of the people in North
Carolina 13.6%
And that is growing immigrants make up a significant share
of North Carolina's labor force which is a topic that
we all are so concerned about in that building
They the community hasn't contributed billions of dollars in state
local and federal taxes that fund our roads schools and
our state services as Neighbors business owners taxpayers and workers
immigrants are an integral North Carolina diverse and thriving community
making extensive contributions that benefit all I hear inside the
building time and time again that our local counties towns
and cities know best our people know best that our
localities need to operate without the oversight of state and
federal government
I hear this so much in our building but this
bill assumes that all the individuals who you elect as
your sheriffs to serve and protect
You don't know enough about their own communities to make
this choice to keep you safe
We need to trust our sheriffs in our communities to
live beside us
The people they serve and that they know best to
protect our communities but they need to hear from us
as well to know that what is being conveyed
This negative narrative is not how you best serve your
community
And I've heard from many sheriffs and local police departments
that actually they don't support this bill for the majority
of people the people of North Carolina
So I compel sheriffs to follow ice orders even if
they know it's like they're compelling not me compelling chairs
to follow ice orders even though it's it's unconsti constitutional
to do so
We need to move forward to foster healthy relationships between
our community and our sheriff
So we bridge trust trust in law enforcement
These bills are not building especially for witnesses of crime
and victims of domestic violence
It is a move police work to move them forward
and solve cases and having our community be part of
that building bills like this does not build a team
to have our community safer and our communities being one
for our our people
So when people feel they cannot trust law enforcement or
know that their local sheriffs be forced to act unconstitutionally
towards them it discouraged immigrants along with their Children neighbors
coworkers and friends just like all of us who are
here today from reporting crime and serving as witnesses
As I said before we are better than this
We are individuals motivated by compassion traveling to the capital
from communities where we look out for our neighbors
This is what North Carolina Carolinians are
We don't try to shun them out
We shouldn't be we cannot allow this bill to sow
fear and distress in spaces that we have carefully built
and we wanna continue to be built as an inclusive
loving North Carolina justice can be served and safety can
be achieved for everyone but this is not the way
So I please urge people in that building my colleagues
to vote no on HB 10 and hear the voices
of the people here
Thank you so much
Yeah thank you the representative and thank you to all
the legislators out here with us today
Next we have next we have Marta Hernandez from the
alliance
Gracias Buenos stares Mres Marta Hernandez
Yo Formo Parte del Diaz Punto Nueve Por de la
Fuerza Laural migrant and Carolina del Norte
Good afternoon
My name is Marta Hernandez and I'm part of the
10.9% of the immigrant labor force that moves North Carolina
You don't need the oil
El primero de Mayo
Que Celebra Eld International del Trabajo Ayal Lo representante his
Tratando de Pasar Unal Quesa Factoria de Cae
Ironically today May May 1st International Labor Day
North Carolina legislators are determined to pass an anti immigrant
bill that will be that will impact the state's economy
Large Araque Muchos I Mirante Mucho de la Fuerza moral
la bal seu de estado
Como not Estados Don Pao leg similar the HP 10
will make immigrant workers decide to leave the state as
it has already happened in other states where similar laws
have been approved
La Chevez Sola Menera
Que Baos de Estado que la Fuerza la que Mobido
Carolina del Norte Trabaja Las Peres Conics ae la pandemia
fos ques tuvimos Morio esteso iso economia
These laws have made immigrants leave and reduce the workforce
that in the worst circumstances and conditions like the pandemic
kept fueling the economy
Auras cmos Alando de numeros
No solamente somos Fala goal Tambien Somos Duos de Negocios
Somos Duos de Propiedades Que Paga Impuestos
Now we talk about economic contributions of the immigrants
We're business owners
We ho we're homeowners and we contribute through taxes to
this economy
Sesenta Mia is Mil Cuentos in Cuenta Tres son
Duos de Negocios is on immigrants
6700 and five thous 7700 immigrants are business owners
I valor de Las Bibi Cuyo duo Sony Migrans Acie
Aa Mil Treos Millones de Dolares
Yi Poles Mazda
And immigrants also are homeowners that amounts to $70.3 billion
And like this I could go go on giving figures
of our contributions
Aquila Preguntas Paras Lela Dores Porque Quieres Tru Carolina del
Norte
Porque Quieres tru economia Sic Carolina del Norte Tambien nuestro
So here the question is for our representatives
Why do you wanna destroy North Carolina Why do you
wanna make us go from here Which is also our
home No
A La Carolina del Norte Tambien nuestro
No to the HB 10
North Carolina is also our home
I see
Yes
All the Nemo Axel Herrera the mi familia boa
when immigrants rights are under attack
What do we do when immigrants rights are under attack
What do we do fight back when immigrants' rights are
under attack What do we do Hello my name is
Axel Herrera
I am with me from a uh it Tabi Beo
como Mien bro Desa coalicion de Clar Que Somos Carolina
I'm a DACA recipient since 2014
I have been in North Carolina since 2005
Uh and I did second grade to college in this
state
Uh I have lived in Charlotte
I have lived in a and currently my hometown is
Bull City in Durham
Um Today I wanna start with a quick story which
is something that I don't always share
But uh comes to mind in this particular situation with
what we're hearing about HP 10 in third grade
One of the most mundane things happened where my younger
sister and I missed the school bus in Charlotte
Our dad decided to take us to school but on
the way he got pulled over over an alleged traffic
violation
We pulled into the school the police officer had my
sister and I get off the the the car go
to class
And when we came back home we came to realize
that my that my dad was no longer home and
that he had been detained
There was an ice detainer placed on him
He was then taken to Georgia and placed in detention
for over two months without much contact with our family
That is the impact that these LA laws have in
the states that is the impact that it's had previously
And that is what it will continue to do in
Almonds County
Our entire church community lived in fear of where the
next reten was going to be
Some of her own members were detained for over six
months due to again traffic stops others were deported and
today traffic checkpoints continue to produce fear for families that
are just trying to do to work that they're just
trying to take care of their kids or just exist
in the place that they call home
So many of my comp panes have been denied access
to higher education because North Carolina denies access to claim
residency for in-state tuition and charges almost triple the rate
of tuition just because of our status
That's why we're here
We're here because instead of addressing the needs of supporting
the rights of all immigrant communities the Republican majority in
this legislature continues to push forward extreme laws that target
immigrants and punishes our community for merely existing
Don't tell me it's about safety because if you really
cared about safety you would expand economic opportunities for those
that are most vulnerable
You would expand access to better housing access to better
education and better access to social and mental health services
from HB 10 to 2 87 G and the myriad
of other laws that this conservative legislature has tried to
pass it terrorizes and freezes our entire communities
You got it
Who knows that is testing it terrorizes and freezes our
entire communities
It holds back our students from getting to school
It prevents vulnerable individuals from getting access to assistance because
they are more afraid of law enforcement than the danger
they may find themselves in
Currently you can't talk about safety when you ignore the
criminal conditions that our farm workers get exposed to and
the exploitation by their employers to which has led to
heat illness and death across our state
Mere Semos mejor we deserve better
Our community does North China does immigrants in the state
deserve better
We have countless times asked Ilas liens what's happened to
in tuition How can we protect our farm workers Necesito
Marre Curso Pava Escuelas
We've asked those things we've voiced them and they've gone
on mute and they have gone unheard by the Republicans
majority in the legislature
So El Punto e aqui stamos Inos Ramos say it
with me
Aqui stamos Inos Ramos in Mere semos mejor mere semos
me Justicia Paros Mirante Para can miedo de la Policia
We must deserve better justice so that immigrants don't fear
the police and for their safety and risk of deportation
We deserve better economic justice that provides living wages so
families can afford quality housing labor protections regardless of immigrant
status and investments into affordable post-secondary education and workforce development
We deserve better environmental justice memos mejor and beal immigrants
deserve equitable access to clean air to clean water investments
in protecting our communities that are the victims of environmental
disasters all across eastern North China and across other parts
of our state
We deserve protection from the impacts of corporations who pollute
and contaminate our communities and the places that we live
in
So that's what this legislature needs to focus on and
that's why we must activate every single one of our
community members to demand
Go on
Osim Papeles we have power and when they don't listen
we must define exactly who is responsible for enacting these
laws and hold them accountable
Thank you homies words so strong
You shut the mic off
Um Next up we have Griselda Alonso with Moon
as an interpreter
Yes
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es que las
mujer es que Andos Esta Vanos antes de poder en
contra la Migra como como la permite S Basado lac
Elio ma preference sexual que practic
but CCU no
OK
Uh P lo lo Imran A los Estados
Que a prova I Arizona Alabama Georgia Indiana Carolina del
Sur Utah Florida
Its
I
delay in Arizona
Las Mujeres
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una de portion
Uh
I can prosper Vino de politicas persons comunidades ins Imran
des vasos ie ver El Justin de
la in a car in Bodo Durante
person deports criterion
Moral viens de de de program
All
reproductive justice is justice for everyone including immigrants
This is how the law says that every person is
allowed to decide when and how to have Children how
to raise them in secure communities and sustainable communities
It is possible that the women that were just uh
recently naturalized are not do don't know about the system
of the health care system
This is why their pregnancy are more advanced before they
could get some attention
The HB 10 anti Immigrant law allows that you can
create profiles based on the appearance uh the language you
speak sexual pro uh sexual orientation religion race everything that
could dissuade immigrants to look for attention
The states that have also approved anti immigrant laws like
for instance Arizona Alabama Georgia Indiana South Carolina Utah Florida
and Texas are are states that are also have been
uh prevented the access to immigrants to health care after
the approval of laws in Arizona in which immigrant women
were informed that they could not that they could get
attention medical attention for them and their families
They they didn't allow to they didn't uh decided to
just because they were afraid that they had to present
documentation and face the deportation
The yeah deportation
Instead of implementing policies that uh prevent immigrant families to
establish and be and be and thrive the government should
adopt policies that would guarantee that every person in our
community including immigrants could thrive
HP 10 is trying to maintain uh our community secure
and safe
And it's ironic how his main representative Duskin Hall was
placed uh has put in danger
Uh One of the drivers earlier this year when he
was found in an incident where alcohol was involved as
it was reported by one media
He was not driving
He didn't have any responsibility
But if M uh 2 87 G was in place
for sure this driver would have been deported
Yes
Yes
And now we have Layla with Muslim women for
thanks
Hi everyone
It's telecom
Peace be upon all of you
My name is Layla Ali and I'm a co-founder with
Muslim women for a local grassroots Muslim women led organization
that is building power with Muslim communities across the state
and centering the lived experiences of black brown immigrant and
working class Muslim women in North Carolina
I'm here as an Egyptian American as an immigrant and
child of immigrants as someone who has called North Carolina
home for my entire life someone who was politicized fighting
for voting rights immigrant justice and reproductive justice as a
student organizer on my college campus and someone who grew
up living and witnessing what it means to live in
constant fear because of immigration status
I saw people in my family and in my community
lo live under siege and surveillance be separated from their
families and be shaken to their core when they're approached
by police
And to be clear North Carolina does not have to
be a state where immigrants feel this way
None of us should have to live in fear of
being detained deported or separated from their families
Is it working now I'll check you
Ok
Thanks the decision to make our community feel this way
is being made by people in this building who do
not know what it means to live in the shadows
of a broken immigration system and want to spend our
tax dollars on policing instead of community resources
Yesterday and today we listened to legislators who are attempting
to pass this bill say this bill will make North
Carolinians more safe and that it will only target people
with serious crimes
But we know that is a lie
We know that it will continue a legacy of surveillance
and racial profiling and feed into a pipeline that focuses
on putting more black brown and immigrant communities in deportation
danger
And we know that people who may be arrested for
low level charges like driving without a license because they
have to take their kids to school or have to
go to a doctor's appointment or may or may be
arrested for practicing their right to protest and assemble in
the streets and on college campuses
Could we could be swept into into into deportation proceedings
Time and time again
Our communities have come out every single election to elect
local sheriffs and other local elected leaders who will prioritize
community safety not family family separations
Hb 10 will dilute community trust in our democratic and
civic institutions
We work with dozens of Muslim women who have experienced
their bodies and identity being policed and controlled for their
entire lives
And I know for a fact that this bill would
make women in my community especially those who are most
vulnerable afraid to seek support for their from their local
leaders because they could run the risk of being detained
or deported
So this this bill does not keep any of us
safe
We understand that HB 10 is a result of the
work and progress
We and all of you have done to protect immigrants
in this state and we will not rest and we
will not stop in demanding that our immigrant communities are
protected and liberated from this constant cycle of fear and
insecurity
Say it with me forward together
Not one step back
Stop
Hb 10
Thank you
OK
And now we have Tanya Jimenez with Ash bro Latinx
Services a little bit louder
Hello everyone
Uh My name is Tanya Jimenez and I'm a trans
woman
Uh probably uh last year 2023 become the worst year
on record for the L LGBT community leg legislation in
2023 proposed 550 anti LGBT bills uh were introduced more
than 75 of these discriminatory has been uh has been
approved over the country
North Carolina can be one of those uh homophobic state
so we need support
We cannot uh we cannot say we cannot have HB
10 pans HB 10
It would be one of the worst um bills a
law that would come for a transgender community where the
world is already being treated
We're treated with respect and with HB 10 we're not
gonna be treated respectfully
We're not gonna be treated as a woman as a
respect as we need to be
Someone said that we're gonna be end up leaving uh
the state with HB 10
We're not gonna leave
We're not gonna go anywhere
We're gonna fight HB 10 because North Carolina is a
home and we're gonna say fighting for home
So we're not gonna go anywhere
We're gonna start fighting HB 10 and all those laws
that they become in North Carolina but we're gonna fight
as a community
We're gonna fight unite
We're gonna fight together
I wanna introduce also when I pass in here because
I don't want all my transistors to be in the
shadow like we always been and I wanna uh step
by Susy Geronimo because we're the only two transforming lead
on the state Latinx that we're fighting all the time
So we don't deserve to be more on the shadow
We're you know that we got them
We're gonna we're gonna be here
We're gonna be fighting together Susie come here and she
is from fun
So both of us together for a union multiplayer
We're gonna fight we're gonna fight HB 10
We're gonna fight all the LGBT anti law
They be coming here and all our sisters and LGBT
community out there that they're listen that they're watching us
please
We need more leaders
We can't be just as two
We need more leaders fighting without fighting SB 10
Thank you
We need only on the Carolina business owners who got
a like a Spanish employers
Please make and send some kind of letters to let
the letters uh they're wrong for this
Uh LHG BT N
Thank you
Thank you
And now we have Romi Ssal
Buenas started mi Nombre Romelia Salgado is so I mari
migrated de Dura
Yes
Del Dia Cuarenta Tres Anos Vivo and Los Estados Unidos
memo de de te Casa Carolina del Norte Ase Tote
Anos
Good afternoon
My name is Romelia Gado and I'm an immigrant mother
from Durham
I've lived in the United States for 43 years and
I've moved from Texas to North Carolina 14 years ago
Fuera en Estado
Don de Coni for Primeras Lora 10 La Policia Super
Lo and Lore
Ila de portions Dira Trabajadores
Endo Baja de Sus Comas
The tra hope arises
He do rosar que personas que an non com Delitos
Rest is a Portas Solo Por Tener Documentos
It was here in this state that I first learned
what it was like to be afraid of the police
I knew what the checkpoints and deportations were like I
saw workers being pulled out of their work vans by
ice
It is painful to think that people who have not
committed a crime will be arrested and the porter just
because they don't have any documents and speak
OK
OK
What the R
AC A Conte La Arak and we were in constant
alas vas no report and los criminals
Yarra Mucho de Samos de Estado
Porque Liano Sera Seguro para Tras Familias El Impacto Paran
Carolina del Norte Sera Treo porque
Los immigrants a Cuando lo que adore les Cue Reconoce
So of Productos pa Amos Impuestos
A port Taos a la cultura de Estado is Somo
Sere Sumano Condes
Oh come on I Pisa Corto Yia A P fa
That's what HB 10 will do
If it becomes law it will make our people live
in constant fear
It will make victims not to report crimes and it
will make many of us us decide to leave the
state because it will no longer be a safe place
for our families
The impact for North Carolina will be tremendous because immigrants
even if it's hard for legislators to recognize we are
productive we pay taxes we contribute to the culture of
this state and we are human beings with rights today
as a naturalized immigrant from the United States and citizen
and voter I call on lawmakers to do the right
thing and oppose HB 10 we had a little bit
of technical difficulties but that's not really gonna stop us
So thank you everybody know that
Should we try to make it Should we try to
make it again Let me just see the
So we're gonna try the mic again and if that
doesn't work then we'll just give a second
Hi
My name is Gianna Santillan and I am the proud
executive director of El Pueblo an organization that has served
the community for almost three decades
We have been the architects of change crafting a society
that honors and uplifts culture for fosters leadership nourishes community
care and ignites civic engagement
I've spent 20 years in our great state a place
where I planted my roots
Ila Laima
I have pity to see legislators target the most vulnerable
among us
What a shameful use of power
HV
10 masquerades as a protective shield
But in reality it's nothing but iron chains of fear
binding our communities
Imagine a world where Children tremble at the thought of
education where victims of injustice are gagged by their own
terror where the silent witnesses of wrongdoing are are shackled
by dread
Our immigrant community is the backbone of North Carolina's prosperity
Despite our measurable contributions paying taxes without the hope of
social security establishing businesses that bolster our economy and maintaining
a labor force participation rate that eclipses 68%
They are repaid with suspicion and scorn
Hb 10 is an effort
It is is an affront to pay our community members
as criminals
We've seen the data from other states that have implemented
similar laws
People are being detained for minor infractions or even just
because of how they look our state
Once the lighthouse for dreamers and doers now casts a
shadow of its over its own legacy
Hb 10 is a declaration that some among us are
deemed unworthy of the dignity of the dignity we all
deserve
This bill is a signal of a world where stop
and frisk is not just policy but doctrine
We're being detained without the due process is not a
nightmare but a potential reality to my fellow North Carolinians
here this call
We are the architects of our shared destiny
We stand at the crossroads of our history where the
path we choose will define the moral character of our
state
We must reject insidious bills like HP 10 and affirm
that we are the ones we've been waiting for
And now no law can rob our people of the
dignity we deserve
We will not falter we will not retreat we deserve
better
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Hey thank you very much
I think it well and folks are available for interviews
so that