America is known as a Nation of Immigrants and the great melting pot of the world.  Yet, the geopolitical and world realities of the 21st century-- from protests in the streets of America for illegal immigrant rights to the concepts of assimilation and multiculturalism -- have raised concerns for how America will look, prosper, and unite for the benefit of future generations.

 

While the world seems to get smaller and smaller through technological advances, a migrating world population and a global economy, the differences between cultures, religions, and nationalities in the United States seem to be getting bigger and bigger.  Nowhere is that more evident than over the issues of illegal immigration.  Periodically, immigration has been a contentious issue in the U.S. and 2007 is one of those times.

 

The U.S. is not unique in facing the pressures of illegal immigration or the challenges of assimilation of legal immigrants.  As we look around the world, there is ample evidence that failure to address immigration in a thoughtful or responsible way can lead to social disruption and increased risk for national security.  These are not issues that are easily addressed by local government, but a failure to act at the national level has forced communities facing rapid increases in immigration to wrestle with the issues on their own.  Recognizing that informal policies are being implemented, Mayor Patrick McCrory and the City of Charlotte have chosen to openly discuss, through the Study Commission, the many facets of immigration (legal and illegal) believing that formal action is needed by elected officials at all levels.

 

- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Charlotte Mayor Patrick McCrory
- Mayor's Immigration Study Commission Charge
- Mayor's Immigration Study Commission Members
- Study Areas and Methodology
- Legal Immigration
- Obtaining Legal Status
- Cities Conflicted over Immigration

 

 

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Charlotte, North Carolina has been impacted by the issue of illegal, as well as legal, immigration.  Charlotte is the 20th largest city in America with 650,000 residents, and is the county seat for Mecklenburg County with a population of 850,000.   It is the center of a thriving 16-county region, which includes four counties in the neighboring state of South Carolina.  A Sunbelt city, Charlotte's population has grown by 20% during the past 10 years and has added more than 155,000 new jobs.   The City and region are home to nine Fortune 500 corporate headquarters; is the second largest financial center in America and has 310 Fortune 500 companies represented in the area.  Additionally 447 foreign-owned firms representing 39 countries operate in Charlotte.

 

Charlotte-Douglas International Airport welcomes more that 1.8 million international passengers a year and has daily, non-stop flights to 27 international destinations.   The federal government established a Charlotte Foreign Trade Zone in 1980 and there are more than 300 international cultural organizations, eight international chamber of commerce organizations, and eight Honorary Consuls in the city. 

 

Approximately 12% of the legal citizens of Mecklenburg County were born outside the United States; the largest ethnic population is Hispanic (66,043) followed by Asian (26,640).   Every one in five births in Mecklenburg County is Hispanic.  More than 9,000 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools students speak a foreign language, representing 94 different languages and 130 countries of origin.   Nearly 350,000 illegal immigrants are estimated to live in North Carolina, with 58,000 living in Mecklenburg County.   Almost 15% of the Mecklenburg County jail population is comprised of illegal immigrants.   These numbers belie the fact that Charlotte is increasingly becoming an international city.

 

 

In December 2005, Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory created the Mayor's Immigration Study Commission.  It included 28 community leaders who were knowledgeable in immigration issues or had access to immigration information and data.  The Mayor's impetus in creating the Study Commission was two-fold: the Mayor's appointment to the Homeland Security Advisory Council and his interest in helping the Charlotte community and region have a better understanding of the growing immigration issues facing the community and nation.

 

As a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) appointed by President George W. Bush to advise the Secretary of Homeland Security, Mayor McCrory attended an HSAC meeting in San Diego, California in December 2004 to learn more about border issues with Mexico.  It was during that visit that the Mayor saw firsthand the flow of illegal immigrants into the U.S., and more importantly, he came to understand that many of the immigration issues San Diego was addressing were also on Charlotte's doorstep.

 

Pat McCrory believes a key duty of his role as Mayor is to help prepare the community for the future.  By creating the Study Commission, the Mayor's goal is for Charlotte to work through this tough debate and begin looking towards the future while preparing the community for what the economy, workforce, laws, and nation will become in this rapidly changing world. 

 

Mayor McCrory understood the deep emotions that surround the immigration debate and wanted to lead a dialogue in the Charlotte community that promoted civil discourse for an issue where many people had already taken entrenched positions.  He wanted to work from facts and data, and share that information with local, state and federal policy makers to ensure that everyone understood which immigration policies were being implemented and enforced and which ones were not.  In short, he wanted to raise the issue, present the information to policy makers for action, and lead the community to work through this complex issue.  Thus, he created the Mayor's Immigration Study Commission.