By Joe Guzzardi
10/27/2007
Our friend J. Paige Straley sent me the following good news update on his recent VDARE.COM about Sheriff Jim Pendergraph of Mecklenburg County (Charlotte, NC) who pioneered the use of the 287 (g) “Identify Illegal Aliens” program in the eastern US. h According to Straley, the Democratic head of the Mecklenburg County Commission, Parks Helms, wanted to undermine Pendergraph’s effort by changing the management of the jail. Typical NC practice is for the County Sheriff to do this job, but Helms proposed making jail administration a non-elected civil service position. You can read the Charlotte Observer newspaper story here:The real meat is several paragraphs down where the story identifies Mr. Helms’ strongest supporters :
”Charlotte-area Latino leaders — including Maudia Melendez, leader of Jesus Ministry, and Rafael Prieto, editor and publisher of Mi Gente Spanish language newspaper — said they will lobby for the Democratic Party to use the sheriff’s retirement as an opportunity to abolish or modify the program.”
The irony is that Pendergraph is slated to leave the Sheriff’s office and move into an ICE slot at the express invitation of the Sec. Homeland Security Michael Chertoff. His main responsibility will be to facilitate the implementation of the 287(g) program.
But Helms’ motion was defeated. Read about it in the Charlotte Observer report noting that it only took a day for the Chair of the Mecklenberg County. Commission to withdraw Helms’ motion.
Commission Chair Jennifer Roberts said,
"I have decided, upon further reflection, that this concept should be withdrawn. Period. The intent of the county manager and the vice chair of the county commission was not malicious. But the process was wrong, and the timing was wrong. This is not the way to do business in Mecklenburg County."
The story said Helms did not intend to ”….placate Latino activists…” and that the Democrat commissioners actually do support the 287(g) program. Contact Chairwoman Roberts, and congratulate her on continuing to support the law and the 287(g) program.
Straley encourages good folks that might want to do more should click here for the email addresses of the other county commissioners: h noting that they are always hungry for input.
This is a content archive of VDARE.com, which Letitia James forced off of the Internet using lawfare.