On October 29, 2015, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signed into law House Bill , known as the Protect North Carolina Workers Act, which among other things, banned cities and counties across the state from enacting so-called “sanctuary policies” to shield illegal aliens from deportation, after being apprehended for other crimes.
At the signing ceremony, Gov. McCrory said: “Today, North Carolina is standing up for the rule of law, which is central to North Carolina values and our country’s values. Public safety officials must have the flexibility and tools to investigate crimes and sanctuary city policies that deprive law enforcement of those tools.”
Though that law remains on the books today, there are several sheriffs throughout North Carolina who have chosen to turn their counties into havens for criminal aliens.
The following is a list of those sheriffs, who, either do not take their oath of office seriously, or who may not understand it...
-Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden...Since taking office, Sheriff McFadden has made it official policy, not to cooperate with U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), by not allowing MCSO deputies to inquire into any suspect's immigration status, nor will the sheriff honor ICE detainers.
So, accused rapists, child molesters, car thieves, drunk drivers, etc., in this country illegally are being released back onto the streets of Mecklenburg County, if they make bail. Sheriff McFadden refuses to release any information on the number of illegal aliens who actually show up for their court dates after being released, but the number is said to be less than 10 percent, according to court insiders.
Of course, the more serious the nature of the charge, the less likely prosecutors are to ever see the suspect again, at least until he or she commits another crime.
McFadden has even released at least one illegal alien homicide suspect.
-Wake County Sheriff Gerald M. Baker...Since taking office on December 3, 2018, Sheriff Baker has refused to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and has released many dangerous criminals back into his county, despite ICE detainers being issued against them.
-Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby F. Kimbrough Jr...Upon taking office in 2019, Forsyth County Sheriff Kimbrough stopped honoring ICE detainers, and ended his department's contract with ICE to house illegal aliens in the county jail.
-Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller...Upon taking office in 2019, Sheriff Miller announced that his office would no longer cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and would stop honoring ICE detainers in his county's jail.
The policy immediately transformed Buncombe County into a 'sanctuary' for criminal aliens, and has been met with harsh criticism from federal authorities, as Sheriff Miller has even allowed illegal aliens charged with child sex crimes to go free on bail.
-Durham County Sheriff Clarence F. Birkhead...On December 7, 2018, Sheriff Birkhead announced that he would no longer allow his deputies to hold inmates with ICE detainers in the county jail, in order for ICE agents to pick them up for possible deportation. Instead, they have been instructed to release illegal aliens back onto the streets, as soon as they make bail, regardless of the charges.
In February 2019, Sheriff Birkhead issued a rather self-serving press release, explaining his decision to stop honoring ICE detainers.
The preceding list encompasses the county jails that serve Charlotte, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Asheville and Durham, respectively...Basically the largest population centers in North Carolina.
*North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein assumed office on January 1, 2017, and has sat by and watched as these sheriffs have made it official policy for their departments to adopt ‘sanctuary’ policies and break the law on a daily basis.
Though Attorney General Stein is a Democrat, and may personally favor offering sanctuary to criminal aliens, as does his party, he is the chief law enforcement officer of his state, and is currently shirking his responsibility.
Stein swore an oath to uphold all of the laws of his state and cannot pick and choose which ones he likes and doesn’t like.
Moreover, he is placing the citizens of North Carolina at great risk by allowing illegal aliens charged with serious crimes to simply be released back onto the streets of these major cities, and continue to victimize North Carolinians.
If Stein refuses to do his job, the North Carolina General Assembly should do their job and impeach him.
If you would like to voice your concerns over this crisis, you can contact Attorney General Josh Stein at (919) 716-6400.
