Federal Immigration Enforcement Expands to Raleigh, North carolina
Raleigh, N.C. – Federal immigration enforcement is expanding in North Carolina, with Immigration and enforcement (ICE) agents deploying to Raleigh as part of a nationwide crackdown on jurisdictions perceived as uncooperative with immigration authorities. The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of “sanctuary policies” and follows similar deployments to Mecklenburg County earlier this year, signaling a broader federal effort to increase immigration enforcement within the state.
North Carolina has become a focal point in national debates surrounding crime and immigration, issues central to the White House agenda. While most North Carolina county jails historically honored federal “detainers” – requests to hold arrested immigrants for potential ICE custody – policies in cities like Raleigh and Charlotte limited local police assistance with immigration enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has stated its focus on the state stems from these policies, claiming approximately 1,400 detainers across North Carolina have gone unfulfilled as October 2020, potentially endangering public safety.
Recent state law changes have compelled Mecklenburg County and Wake County jails to honor detainer requests, reversing previous policies. however, DHS maintains the need for increased federal presence to ensure compliance. The deployment to Raleigh is viewed by North Carolina Republican Party spokesperson Matt Mercer as a necessary step, stating in a text message that it demonstrates the Trump governance is “finally taking seriously” failures by “radical Democrats.”
The increased federal attention to North Carolina follows a summer marked by high-profile incidents, including the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light-rail train. Though the suspect was a U.S. citizen with a history of arrests, the Trump administration highlighted his prior record.
North Carolina’s political landscape presents a complex backdrop for these enforcement efforts. Governor Josh Stein has sought bipartisan collaboration with the Republican-controlled state Legislature, while the state’s two U.S. senators are both Republican. Donald Trump has won the state in the last three presidential elections.