North Carolina lawmakers overwhelmingly voted for legislation that will require law enforcement across the state to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
The GOP-dominated state legislature on Wednesday completed its override of Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto against HB 10, a bill that effectively bans sanctuary city policies across the state. The new law requires sheriffs to honor Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers on non-citizens that have been arrested for serious crimes and are suspected of living in the country unlawfully.
“The bill itself is purely common sense,” Senate leader Phil Berger said after the upper chamber voted for the override in a 30-19 vote, according to ABC11. “I question why anyone in law enforcement — these elected sheriffs — would deny a community the safety that is allowed by taking the process in this way.”
The bill specifically mandates law enforcement to hold onto a non-citizen who is subject to an ICE detainer for 48 hours, according to the text of the legislation. It will officially go into effect on Dec. 1.
The wide-ranging legislation also pertains to school vouchers, something that Cooper largely focused on when his office published his veto message in September. However, the Democrat governor has also been opposed to anti-sanctuary legislation in the past, and he reiterated this opposition when asked about his veto of HB 10.
“I’ve vetoed the sheriff’s [portion of the bill] a number of times. Obviously, I’m still opposed to that,” Cooper said during a press conference about the veto, according to ABC11.
While there are some localities in the state that do not honor ICE detainer requests, such as in Wake and Mecklenburg Counties, law enforcement officials appear largely supportive of the bill. The North Carolina Sheriff’s Association came out in support of the legislation earlier this year.
Other GOP lawmakers pointed out that the new law will not affect non-citizens who have been stopped by police for minor offenses.
“This would not impact folks who are stopped for minor traffic offenses, this is not something those people would be facing deportation over,” Senator Danny Britt stated days before the veto was overridden, according to Queen City News.
The Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington, D.C.,-based organization that advocates for stricter immigration enforcement laws, has labeled at least nine different counties in the state as sanctuary havens for illegal migrants, citing various policies that restrict cooperation with ICE agents. The new law will force sheriffs in these counties and across the state to adhere to ICE detainers moving forward.
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