Immigrant policy to be Carrboro election issue

Carrboro Board of Aldermen candidates are carving out ideas for how to cater to the town’s dense and growing immigrant population.

At least 12.3 percent of the town is of Latino or Hispanic descent, compared to 5.6 percent in Orange County, according to El Centro Latino. And the refugee population continues to grow drastically.

Ilana Dubester, interim director at El Centro Latino, said Carrboro’s government should include more bilingual public officials.

She also said immigrants tend to lack work, language services and access to affordable health care.

Day laborers became the center of controversy in 2007 when they were barred from standing at their unofficial waiting spot — the corner of Davie and Jones Ferry roads — past 11 a.m.

Sharon Cook

Sharon Cook’s grandfather was a first-generation immigrant, a fact she said helps her understand the immigrant experience.

She said she plans to:

• Provide more bilingual support to make it easier for Spanish speakers to conduct business with the town.
• Focus on improving educational opportunities for Carrboro’s Burmese and Karen populations.

 

“You can do service worldwide, but we have that opportunity right here,” Cook said.

Jacquie Gist

Jacquie Gist has been on the Board of Aldermen since 1989. She said she plans to:

• Incorporate Latino residents by distributing bilingual emergency information.
• Continue to support current policies that limit local police officers checking for immigration status.

 

“We don’t want residents to feel that they can’t call the police,” Gist said. “If people feel like something bad is happening in their neighborhood, but they’re afraid to call the police, it’s not a good thing.”

Randee Haven-O’Donnell

Randee Haven-O’Donnell has been on the Board of Aldermen since 2005.

She said she plans to:
 

• Increase government support to Latino organizations already in the community.
• Support the creation of a workforce station for day laborers to gather.

 

“I’ve been working on finding a suitable workforce station where day laborers can gather and be picked up for work,” Haven-O’Donnell said. “Folks need a place that is dignified.”

Tim Peck

Tim Peck said he can relate to the Latino immigrant community because his father spent much of his childhood in Guatemala, and Peck has an adopted child from the country.

He said he plans to:
 

• Support allowing driver’s licenses for day laborers.
• Support day laborers in the community by continuing to allow them to gather.

 

“It’s important if these people want work and we have the work, that it exists for them,” Peck said. “It’s unfair to target people that are good workers.”

Sammy Slade

Sammy Slade is the only Latino alderman candidate and said this will make him the most likely to see that perspective.

He said he plans to:
 

• Create a forum where day laborers looking for work can find businesses that are hiring.
• Continue existing policies that limit local police officers checking for immigration status.

 

“Our area is a place for immigrants,” Slade said. “I’d be open to finding ways to facilitate the coexistence of different groups.”


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