The North Carolina House passed a bill Wednesday to direct state agencies to vet residents’ immigration status before providing them benefits.
The bill includes the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Commerce, and the University of North Carolina system. Democratic Rep. Deb Butler of New Hanover County said it would place an unfair strain on agencies.
“This is gonna be cataclysmic for our agencies. It’s gonna force them, who are already stretched thin, to become immigration enforcement officers," she said.
Some state agencies already ensure that people are lawful North Carolina residents before providing them benefits. This bill now heads to the North Carolina Senate for consideration.
