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G~ /~ --c.~~ <br />~~-~ a~~~ . ~ z ~ ~~~ <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />Resolution Supporting Orange County Immigrant Workers <br />WHEREAS, immigrant workers are increasingly essential to filing a wide range of <br />jobs in Orange County, North Carolina; and <br />WHEREAS, employed undocumented workers pay federal, state, and local <br />taxes, including Social Security and Medicare; and ' <br />WHEREAS, the buying power of undocumented workers is substantial, with the <br />buying power of Latinos in North Carolina exceeding $2.3 billion (as documented <br />by the North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development, Inc.); and <br />WHEREAS, national immigration policy is in conflict with our current workforce <br />needs; and <br />WHEREAS, recent changes in Social Security Administration practices have <br />resulted in dozens of immigrants losing their jobs in Orange County and <br />throughout the state; and <br />WHEREAS, local governments bear the significant infrastructure and operational <br />costs of providing services to all their residents; and <br />WHEREAS, not providing a legal means of working and living in this country <br />creates a black market for documents which threatens national security and the <br />personal welfare of immigrants; <br />NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of <br />Commissioners agree to: <br />1) Encourage County staff to work with local non-profit service <br />organizations to establish a"safety net" for local unemployed workers <br />and their families; <br />2) Co-sponsor an upcoming forum on Latinos, "EI Dilema Latino: Seeking <br />Local Solutions," convened by the Chapel Hill News and tentatively <br />scheduled for the evening of May 1 St; and <br />3) Call upon the United States Government to reform immigration laws in <br />order to provide undocumented immigrants with legal permission to <br />work and live in our community and institute a long-term immigration <br />policy that addresses the economic and national security needs of the <br />United States. <br />This the 16th day of April 2002 <br />Barry J~e~66s, ir ~ <br />Orange ounty B o Commissioners <br />