Gov. McCrory: Stop Scapegoating Immigrants

Tell Gov. McCrory to veto HB 318, which would limit acceptance of foreign IDs and make police jobs harder.

The question of immigrants having acceptable identification documents is both a practical and safety concern, and an economic issue for police. The manpower used to arrest and process people who do not have identification takes away from other policing priorities. It has been estimated that a wider acceptance of foreign and community-issued IDs in Greensboro has saved the equivalent of two full-time police officers’ salaries in terms of avoiding unnecessary arrests solely for lack of ID.

If enacted, HB 318 will make it more difficult for local police and sheriffs to establish the identity of people in our communities, particularly immigrant residents, which will make their jobs harder and more dangerous.

Officers who are able to establish the identity of someone they encounter are better able to enforce the law, efficiently employ their limited resources, and keep themselves and others safe. People who have acceptable IDs are more willing to interact with the police as witnesses or victims of crime, which enhances public safety not only for immigrant residents, but for all of us.