Members of the Latino community gathered on Wednesday, May 27th at a conversation bilingual with Democratic legislators from Wake County focused on policies affecting immigrant and Latino families in North Carolina.
The event was organized by El Centro Hispano, in collaboration with Enlace Latino NC It allowed residents to speak directly with elected officials during the short legislative session.
Representative Sarah Crawford, Representative Tim Longest, and Senator Lisa Grafstein answered questions at the nonpartisan forum. Organizers noted that the invitation was extended to all legislators from Wake County.
Moderated by Mariana Rocha-Goldberg and Claudia Rivera Cotto, the conversation addressed topics such as Medicaid coverage, the state budget, education funding, and immigration policies, among others.
Medicaid and access to health
In April, Governor Stein signed a measure that It allocates $319 million to cover a critical deficit in the Medicaid base..
Lawmakers responded to concerns about a provision in the law that would affect the medical coverage of 27,000 immigrant women and children with legal status.
Representative Crawford said there are ongoing discussions with state actors to address potential unintended consequences of recent legislation.
“There are ongoing discussions,” Representative Crawford said. “I definitely don’t believe the intention was to prevent families from receiving the health coverage they need.”
Senator Grafstein, for her part, questioned whether the inclusion of this provision might have been malicious on the part of some legislators. “How can you include a provision in a bill when you don’t know if it will cause harm?” she said.
He added that there is a deadline to correct the problem before it comes into effect.
“The date is October 1, so we have until then to fix that provision,” the senator said.
Concerns about cutting early voting days
Lawmakers also expressed their opposition to proposals that would shorten the term of early voting and would eliminate the possibility of vote on Sundays.
“Voting shouldn’t be made more difficult,” Senator Grafstein said. “For many people, having the flexibility to vote when they want to and when they need to is very important.”
Representative Longest added that reducing the flexibility of early voting could make it harder for working families to participate.
“There are people who have the responsibility of taking care of their families and cannot necessarily make such a drastic reduction,” said Representative Longest.
State budget and legislative priorities
The discussion on the state budget focused on the importance of passing it in the short session and on salary increases for public employees.
“We are the only one in the State in the nation that It has no budget “It’s still ready,” Representative Crawford said. “That’s probably one of the most important things we need to do for North Carolina.”
Crawford also noted that to ensure Medicaid's stability, the state budget should include financing fully recurring in the long term.
Representative Longest emphasized the importance of the salary increase for public sector workers.
“At a very basic level, we need to raise salaries. We need more support from the state, especially for our public school teachers and employees,” said Representative Longest.
In addition, Senator Grafstein expressed concern about possible added provisions during the budget approval process that will need to be monitored.
“We will be asked to vote on a budget that we won’t have seen until a day or two before. The headlines will focus on the positive aspects, such as salary increases and other similar measures,” Grafstein said.
“But what I will be evaluating is what the possible damages are, both political and in terms of public policy,” he added.
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Immigration and potential ICE detention centers
Lawmakers also answered questions about immigration policies and community fears regarding potential [immigration restrictions]. ICE detention centers in the state.
“I appreciate that people came out to express their opinions. I don’t believe we need ICE facilities in our state,” Senator Grafstein said regarding the protest against ICE in front of the General Assembly on May 26.
Representative Longest, for his part, said the state should focus on the local security system, not on cooperation with federal agencies.
“The state should get involved to support the extensions at this time,” Longest said. “I’m concerned about what we’ve seen in other states, especially the way ICE has conducted its operations.”
An immigrant mother shared her concern about the fear of immigrant families when attending school, churches or public spaces due to increased immigration control.
“I’m very sorry about that situation. We shouldn’t have communities where people are afraid to leave their homes. That’s truly wrong,” said Representative Crawford. “We would love to take different actions, but we are bound by the supermajority,” she added.
Related: How immigration raids traumatize children and undermine the childcare system
The importance of civic participation
The event also included educational information about the role of state legislators and the structure of the North Carolina General Assembly.
The purpose of this conversation is to help the community better understand the legislative process and the priorities of those who represent it.
“We are grateful to the legislators who participated in this important conversation and to the community members who participated with thoughtful questions and comments,” said Pilar Rocha-Goldberg, president and CEO of The Hispanic Center.
“Creating accessible spaces for dialogue strengthens civic participation and ensures that our communities feel informed, heard, and represented,” he added.
Paola Jaramillo, executive director of Enlace Latino NC She emphasized the importance of continuing to create bilingual opportunities for civic engagement for Latino families.
"At Enlace Latino NC “We believe that information and access are essential for community empowerment,” Jaramillo said.
“This conversation allowed families to better understand the legislative issues and ensured that their voices and experiences were part of the discussion.”
The organizers stated that the event reaffirmed both organizations' commitment to fostering nonpartisan civic engagement. They added that these forums strengthen communication between elected officials and Latino communities in North Carolina.
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