The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office is awaiting word from Immigration Customs & Enforcement on what to do with an illegal immigrant in the county jail.

Beaufort County Sheriff Alan Jordan says a new law led to the discovery that 29 year-old Santos Llarios is illegal. He's behind bars for failing to show up for court on a 2003 sex crime. He's one of 1,000 illegal immigrants in North Carolina Jails.

The new law allows law enforcement officials in North Carolina to ask those they have in custody for a felony or DWI, or arrest on those charges, to show proof they're here legally.

That law is just one of the ways officials are trying to address illegal immigration. Deportation is another. It's the job of Immigration Customs and Enforcement to look for immigration violators. North Carolina is part of the enforcement region with South Carolina and Georgia. Last year in those three states, nearly 10,000 people were deported for immigration violations. That figure was about 5,000 in 2006 and 4,000 in 2005. The last year federal statistics are available is 2006. They show 195,000 illegal immigrants were removed from the country.

Immigration Customs & Enforcement also deals with worksite violations. It is against the law to employ someone who is illegal. In 2006 there were 127 convictions for such violations across the country. That's a 46-percent increase from the previous year.

Some people believe giving amnesty to illegal immigrants, who are not criminals, would help solve the illegal immigration issue. Advocates say it would benefit hard-working people and the United States.

Third District Republican Congressman Walter Jones believes solving the issue of illegal immigration starts with securing the border with Mexico. That's why he supports building a 700 mile fence. Jones says, "This to me has nothing to do with whether you're Spanish, or you're Irish or you're German. There is a law in this land and for America to remain strong as a nation, I think you have to have order to how you permit people to come into this country."

Once that happens, then Jones says the debate can really begin to find a realistic solution to the 12 million people in the United States illegally.

Part 4: Impact On Healthcare

Take a trip to the doctor's office or hospital and you know how expensive healthcare can be.

One of the many reasons is the cost to treat the 12-million people in the U.S. Illegally, 300 ,000 to 400,000 here in North Carolina. Others contend the cost not to treat them would be even greater.

At Duplin General Hospital in Kenansville, hospital president Harvey case says the hospital looses 3 to 4-million dollars a year to treat the uninsured. That figure includes all people without health insurance. Case says they don't have an exact figure on how many are illegal because they're not allowed to ask. However, a study by the Congressional Budget Office shows the majority of people in the U.S. illegally do not have healthcare coverage.

By law, hospitals and healthcare providers that receive federal assistance can't turn patients away regardless of their ability to pay. That includes people who are in the U.S. illegally. That cost is passed on to those who have insurance.

Alex Asbun is director of Latino Healthcare Access at Duplin General. Asbun says, "I think we have to understand that this is something that was not created in the last decade or so, this is something that's been going on for many, many, years and unfortunately we haven't paid enough attention to find a solution that will work for us." Case says, "We feel like our hands are tied. We're here, our mercy room is open 24-7, the hospital is open 24-7, and we're here to take care of patients when they need us. The financial situation is the tough part."

The Congressional Budget Office says the U.S. Spends one-billion dollars annually to treat illegal immigrants.

Friday on WITN News at Six we'll examine ideas to address illegal immigration.

Part 3: Impact On Public Schools

From building schools, paying for teachers, to having enough books and supplies for kids, many communities struggle with education costs. Statistics show students who are here illegally contribute to those costs.

It's estimated there are 2-million unauthorized kids in American schools. Nationwide, it costs 7.4 billion dollars a year to educate illegal immigrants. In North Carolina, where there are an estimated 58,000 undocumented students, it costs 210 million dollars.

Pitt County assistant superintendent Worth Forbes says a U.S. Supreme Court ruling mandates all schools teach all students. Forbes says the ruling states, "Undocumented school age students have the same rights to attend public school as U.S. citizens and residents."

The state and federal governments give Pitt County a combined $450,000 a year for English as a Second Language Classes. Those dollars also provide for 12 teachers.

Pitt County schools went from 896 Hispanics in the 2003-2004 school year, to 1,581 this year. It's unknown how many are illegal, because school officials aren't allowed to ask. The Pew Hispanic Center estimates 65 percent of all Hispanic children are undocumented.

At Belvoir Elementary, where the school's Hispanic population is 33 percent, a marquee in front of the school is in both English and Spanish. While the sign may help those who don't speak English, or have trouble, some see the sign as trouble. Third District Republican Congressman Walter Jones says, "When you get to a point that you say, that well in America, you can live there, you can work there by the millions, but you don't have to learn the language. I think that is a threat to the sovereignty of a country. I really do."

Congressman Jones isn't the only one who believes those who come to America should speak the language. The Pew Hispanic Center says 57-percent of Hispanics believe immigrants have to speak English to be part of American society.

Pitt County school officials say that's exactly what's happening at Belvoir, where they say Hispanic students, legal and illegal, met their adequate yearly progress goals in In reading last year.

Still, others say it's an education those here illegally aren't entitled to. Forbes says, "We're not in the business of worrying about that. We're in the business of educating."

And educating all students is what the U.S. Supreme court says they have to do.

Thursday at six we'll take a look at the impact of illegal immigration on healthcare in eastern Carolina.

Part 2: Population Explosion

The challenges of illegal immigration are a concern for all communities across North Carolina. That is especially true in Duplin County, which has the highest percentage of Hispanics in the state at 20-percent.

Based on the state numbers and research by The Pew Hispanic Center, half are likely illegal.

Warsaw is one of the Duplin County towns struggling with the increase in Hispanic immigrants, both legal and illegal. Town manager Jason Burrell says, "We've had a good track record with the Hispanic businesses that have come here. They seem to flourish and do well. Of course we prefer they are legal." Warsaw mayor Win Batten says, "Many of the Hispanics are certainly making a contribution, providing a needed workforce, but at the same time, if they are here illegally, in many cases they are not paying taxes other that what they have to pay on the food they buy."

A study from the Kenan Institute at UNC shows legal and illegal Hispanics make a 9-billion dollar economic contribution to the state. Other research by the Congressional Budget Office says that is offset by the costs of paying for services for those who are undocumented.

Those are all issues being felt in Warsaw as it deals with a new population explosion and the challenges of illegal immigration.

Wednesday on WITN News at six, we'll examine the impact illegal immigration has on our public school system.

Part 1: Interview With An Illegal Immigrant

It is a staggering figure. 16,000 illegal immigrants cross the border from Mexico into the United States every week, according to the U.S. government.

There's no doubt, illegal immigration stirs passionate debate and is turning out to be a major issue in the presidential race, all the way down to local politics.

North Carolina is right in the middle of that debate.

The U.S. Census estimates 600,000 to 700,000 Hispanics are in North Carolina. It also says 300,000 to 400,000 are here illegally. Across the nation, there are an estimated 12-million illegal immigrants.

All this week WITN is investigating the impact of illegal immigration, beginning with the story of one illegal immigrant in eastern Carolina.

The illegal immigrant Dave Jordan interviewed didn't want to be identified but he did want to tell his story. It started eleven years ago when he spent six hours on an illegal journey from Mexico into the united states. He says it was the only way for him to come to America. "We don't really have any choice for that, we don't have money, you try to make papers in Mexico you need to have money in the bank and we don't have none of that stuff. You work a month in Mexico you make whatever you make a week here."

The individual Dave talked with also has a brother and two cousins here illegally. It's quite common in the neighborhood where they live, according to Anita Villeda who says, "Mostly everyone who lives out here are illegal."

Villeda is of Hispanic descent, but was born here in America and is a U.S. citizen. Her boyfriend however, the father of her three children, is illegal. "He came over here the hard way, passing the border and stuff like that, knowing the immigration could get him. His purpose for being here was trying to help out his family from Mexico."

While Villeda says she understands why people come to America illegally, she doesn't agree with it. And she thinks they should have to pay for healthcare, education and other services. She says, "If we have to do it, us Americans, why can't they?"

Many illegal immigrants contend they can, and do pay taxes. The I.R.S. and Social Security Administration say six-million illegal immigrants file income tax returns and pay social security taxes each year. How is that possible without a social security number? The I.R.S. issues tax identification numbers to undocumented workers, even though a federal law prohibits employers from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants. While the number doesn't give them legal status, it does open many doors. And for those who have it, gives a sense of legitimacy.

Third District Republican Congressman Walter Jones thinks the tax I.D. program sends the wrong message. Jones says, "Quite frankly I don't think that should be acceptable and I'm very concerned that it is acceptable."

Illegal immigrants believe the tax I.D. program is just part of the mixed signals the federal government has been sending for years, including not allowing enough visas for employers to legally hire foreign workers, only 66,000 per year for the entire country, to lenient enforcement. The illegal immigrant Dave interviewed even has a North Carolina driver's license. Until the law changed, all you needed was a birth certificate and two forms of I.D.

That driver's license, his job, and tax I.D. number have all helped the illegal immigrant we talked to by a new house, buy a vehicle, and have enough money to send back to Mexico every month. But he senses the backlash over illegal immigration...a system he and others know needs to be fixed...but aren't exactly sure how, and what it will all mean.

The illegal immigrant we interviewed says he doesn't know what the answer is. Anita Villeda says she is worried about it because she has three kids and wouldn't know what to do if her boyfriend got deported. Congressman Jones says, "There is no question this is a crisis."

Tuesday on WITN News at Six, as we continue our week long series looking at illegal immigration, we'll head to one town in eastern Carolina experiencing an explosion in the Hispanic population, both legal and illegal.