North Carolina House Republicans filed a bill Monday to increase criminal sentences for undocumented people convicted of felonies within the state.
House Bill 261 would increase prison sentences and other penalties by one class for undocumented people convicted of felonies in North Carolina.
For example, if an undocumented person is convicted of armed robbery, their conviction would increase from a Class D felony to a Class C felony, raising their maximum punishment from 17 years to 19 years.
If an undocumented immigrant has reentered the United States after having been deported and is then convicted of a felony, then their punishment would increase by two classes.
Rep. Neal Johnson, of Moore and Randolph counties, filed the bill, which will go to the House Judiciary Committee.
Other states such as Florida have implemented similar laws, which automatically order the death penalty for undocumented immigrants who commit capital offenses.
Civil rights advocates say this violates the 14th Amendment, which states that people in similar situations should be treated the same way, regardless of their race or other characteristics.
