Understanding how section 287(g) is reverberating through the immigrant economy and how this might create potential constraints for the businesses that rely on immigrant workers and consumers
Creators: name: Mendoza Torrico, Willan
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2009

description: North Carolina has been a leading state in the local adoption of 289(g). It is estimated that over sixty law enforcement agencies have entered into such agreements, with eight MOAs currently in North Carolina (Weissman, 2009). The eight active MOAs in the North Carolina are in Alamance, Cabarrus, Gaston, Mecklenburg, Wake, Cumberland, and Henderson Counties. In addition, the Durham Policy Department has recently signed a 287(g) agreement. For North Carolina, 287(g) has been studied extensively from a legal perspective and as a means to determine whether or not the policy is being used appropriately as a mechanism for rooting out criminal activities or simply as a de facto deportation strategy (Weissman, 2009). Little research however has been done on the economic impacts of this policy for the state. This is important because there can be unintended consequences that could undermine the positive economic impact of the Hispanic Community in North Carolina. This research therefore tries to understand how Section 287(g) is reverberating through the immigrant economy and how this might create potential constraints for the businesses that rely on immigrant workers and consumers. This study focuses on the City of Mebane in Alamance County, North Carolina. I have chosen Alamance County because the aggressive allocation of police resources which can have serious implications for the larger community and because of clear racial profiling and baseless stereotyping made by the County Sheriff (Collins, 2007). Alamance County, although operating with a smaller population and fewer enforcement resources than some other 298(g) counties in North Carolina, has already deported over four hundred individuals during the first nine months of the program5 (Weissman, 2009). It is widely believed that Section 287(g) is being used as a tool for intimidation and isolation of foreign nationals and Hispanic residents in Alamance County and not necessarily as a tool to aid law enforcement6. In Alamance County, I have also chosen the City of Mebane because it has a fast growing and relatively large Latino population. I have also chosen Mebane because it promotes itself as still having the small town, family friendly environment and is currently in a major upswing, both residentially and commercially. Major business chains are regularly moving to the city, yet there is not a big presence of manufacturing or construction companies. This means that while many areas of North Carolina have suffered from the closure of factories, Mebane has only been minimally affected. This is important to be able to parse out the effects of the recent economic crisis that has affected the manufacturing and construction sectors in the country. It is easier to see the economic impact of Section 287(g) over and above the general economic malaise in a relative small location rather than a large one. I have also taken into consideration that for a case study where interviews would be needed, a smaller city will allow me to identify and contact possible subjects faster than a large one. Finally, the proximity of Mebane city to my University allows me to make as many trips as necessary to identify subjects and later interview people, rather than limit my number of visits due to distance constraints.