State Representative Carla Cunningham of Mecklenburg County, who asked for stronger immigration limits and stated that not all cultures are equal during an override vote on House Bill 318 last week, has drawn criticism from members of North Carolina’s immigrant community.
In order to provide U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement time to detain illegal individuals who have been arrested, HB 318 will mandate that sheriffs retain them for up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released.
Last Monday, Governor Josh Stein’s veto was overridden by the House and Senate. Cunningham provided House Republicans with a supermajority by being the sole Democrat to vote in favor in either house.
On the House floor last week, Cunningham stated, “All cultures are not equal.” Some newcomers refuse to adjust because they think they can survive on their own. They should assimilate, in my opinion. Adjust to the culture they want to be a part of.
A resident of CharlotteSeveral immigrants, including Wendy Mateo-Pascualis, have voiced their opposition to Cunningham’s comments. She claimed that Cunningham’s remarks were xenophobic and racist in an open letter that she shared on Facebook.
Mateo-Pascual stated that we cannot permit individuals to keep dividing the minority population. We integrate and are a force in the community, as demonstrated by the immigrant population in North Carolina and, I believe, across the nation.
In October, HB 318 will go into effect.
