Federal immigration agents arrested hundreds of immigrants last week that they say are in the country illegally. The move comes after Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say some counties have cut ties with the agency.
New sheriffs in Mecklenburg and Wake counties have reversed a policy that notifies ICE about the legal status of inmates in county jails.
The Durham County Sheriff's Office also ended the practice of honoring ICE detainers.
A regional director for ICE says the moves put politics over public safety.
The Charlotte Observer reports that the three sheriffs, all of whom campaigned on ending the program in their counties, rejected the notion that the change somehow made their communities more dangerous.
The latest action led ICE officers to detain 200 people across North Carolina. Another 25 were detained at an arms manufacturer in Sanford in an unrelated incident.