Billy Ball Explains NC: Why do people immigrate illegally?

By Billy Ball, Staff Reports

December 17, 2025

Why don’t undocumented people just become … documented? Why do people immigrate illegally? In the new Billy Ball Explains NC, we take on America’s broken immigration system, and ICE and Border Patrol’s brutal policing of it.

Why don’t undocumented people just become … documented?

In the new Billy Ball Explains NC, we take on America’s broken immigration system, and ICE and Border Patrol’s brutal policing of it.

Billy Ball Explains NC premieres every Wednesday at 3 pm on YouTube. Make sure to like and subscribe to @cardinalandpine on YouTube so you don’t miss an episode.

(Warning: This clip contains historic news footage that includes a racial slur.)Script: Billy Ball
Video: Melanie Duran

Authors

Billy Ball

Billy Ball is Cardinal & Pine's senior newsletter editor. He’s covered local, state, and national politics, government, education, criminal justice, the environment, and immigration in North Carolina for almost two decades. His reporting and commentary have earned state, regional, and national awards. He's also the founder of The Living South, a journalism project about the most interesting people in the American South.

Have a story tip? Reach Billy at [email protected]. For local reporting that connects the dots, from policy to people, sign up for Billy’s newsletter.

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CATEGORIES: Billy Ball Explains NC | LOCAL VIDEO

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