North Carolina Republican lawmakers unhappy with recent decisions by newly elected sheriffs to stop assisting federal immigration agents are now pushing legislation that would force them to hold defendants if requested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
A House judiciary panel approved legislation Wednesday that requires sheriffs in all counties to fulfill ICE detainer requests, which can be used to hold criminal suspects up to 48 hours. These holdings currently aren't mandatory. Sheriffs elected last year in urban areas in and around Raleigh, Asheville and Durham have announced they won't honor these requests.
Bill sponsor Rep. Destin Hall says a few "sanctuary sheriffs" are putting politics ahead of public safety.
Immigrant advocates opposed the measure. They're already urging Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to veto any final bill that comes to him.