Agenda - 01-22-2015 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 12 Adopted this, the 1St day of December, 2014. Doris Brunson said this is an important issue. She noted that many opponents state that the children are not taxpayers, but she can affirm that no child pays taxes when they are in school. She said the parents who have taken in these children pay taxes every day. PUBLIC COMMENT: Sarah Preston is policy director of the ACLU of N.C. She thanked the Board for considering this resolution and for supporting the children who come to this community fleeing violence in their home countries. She said these children risk so much to be reunited with family members or placed with caregivers, and we should protect them from the conditions they are fleeing. She said these children should have legal representation and a hearing before an immigration judge before they may be deported. She said the ACLU is part of a class action lawsuit filed this summer to challenge the federal government's failure to provide legal representation to these children at deportation hearings. She encouraged the Board to support these children. George Eppsteiner thanked Commissioner Dorosin and the Board for considering this resolution. He said he is a staff attorney for the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, whose mission is to support and enhance communities of color. He said this resolution is important because it is part of a very important conversation regarding immigration. He said there have been conversations in other counties that oppose this, and these children are being considered a burden. He said these comments are troubling, and this is not a new issue. He said the Supreme Court considered this issue 30 years ago and ruled that the state of Texas could not deny undocumented students an education. He read some information from that ruling. He urged the Board to pass this resolution upholding the constitutional right of students to attend schools regardless of their immigration status. Commissioner Dorosin said he appreciated the Human Rights Commission coming forward and the ACLU and the Southern Coalition coming out. He said he and his colleagues had first heard weeks ago that other counties were adopting anti - immigrant resolutions. He is encouraged by tonight's resolution, and he said it is important to stake out a strong position on this topic and to encourage others to do the same. Commissioner Rich thanked Commissioner Dorosin for this resolution, and she said this shows that the Board of County Commissioners is committed to this cause. She encouraged the Board members to talk with adjoining counties about this resolution. Commissioner Jacobs said he would send a copy of this resolution to each of the counties on the clerk's listserve. He said it is important to fight those who would deny the rights of others. Chair McKee said it is discouraging to even need a resolution like this, as it should be common sense to provide relief for these children. A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner Price for the Board to adopt and authorize the Chair to sign the Resolution in Support of Equal Access for Immigrant Children. VOTE: UNANIMOUS 5. Public Hearings a. Comprehensive Plan and Unified Development Ordinance Text Amendments and Zoning Atlas Amendments to Establish Two New Zoning Overlay Districts in the Efland Area — Continue Public Hearing to April 7, 2015