Courtesy: A Dennis Lynch Documentary
Rockingham County, NC--The Rockingham County Sheriff's Office hosted a documentary screening called, "They Come To America: The Cost Of Illegal Immigration."
The screening was Monday, Oct. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at Rockingham Community College; it's part of a nationwide tour.
Dennis Lynch is the film creator.
More information: "They Come To America: The Cost Of Illegal Immigration."
The Sheriff's Office said that the documentary is strictly informational and educational, not political.
News 2's Liz Crawford saw part of the film and talked to Rockingham County Sheriff, Sam Page prior to the screening about the film.
News 2 also talked to an undocumented immigrant who said the film doesn't tell the whole story.
Moises Serrano is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. His parents brought him to the US when he was a baby.
He said, "I feel that it's painting my parents, my family, my relatives, and my community as criminals and as people who are trying to mooch off of the system and as murders and rapists."
Inside the auditorium on the Rockingham Community College campus, roughly 200 people showed up to hear from Sheriff Same Page and watch the 2-hour documentary.
The film asks average men and women across the country how immigration affects their communities. Rockingham County Sheriff, Sam Page feels like it's his duty to make citizens aware of the drug trade connected to illegal immigration and the threat of violent crime. The film also points the finger at politicians for running away from the issue.
"Be aware that we do have a failed immigration policy in the united states and if we don't talk about it and we don't encourage our congressmen to fix it, where will we be five , ten, fifteen years down the road?," said Sam Page.
The Sheriff said that politicians have been putting band-aids on the immigration issue. He wants to trigger conversations about long-term solutions.
Two Traid immigration attorneys were also at the screening. Like Moises Serrano, they felt that the documentary was one-sided and a sheriff should not be hosting a screening.
News 2 received an update from the Rockingham County sheriff after the screening. Towards the end of the film, there was a 50-person protest. It was led by members of "El Cambio", an immigration activist group out of Yadkin County.
The group was shouting and chanting for about 30 minutes. With Monday being Christopher Columbus Day, they were arguing that Columbus too was an illegal immigrant.
WFMY News 2