Photo credit: Department of Homeland Security
Raleigh. Four Democratic lawmakers have introduced two bills that would prohibit state officers and law enforcement agencies from collaborating with Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) operations in North Carolina.
Bills HB78 and HB80 contain almost the same language to prohibit the involvement of local law enforcement in the apprehension and detention of undocumented immigrants, but each focuses on a different jurisdiction.
HB78 bans collaboration with ICE in churches and other places of worship, schools, and hospitals; while HB80 does so in agricultural fields and construction sites, sectors that depend on immigrant labor.
The authors of these proposals are Democratic legislators Reneé Price, Deb Butler, Pricey Harrison and Maria Cervania. The possibility of the Republican majority in both chambers to move these bills forward is slim.
Last year, Republicans passed legislation directing all sheriffs and jail administrators to cooperate with ICE and comply with all their arrest requests which were previously voluntary.
The proposal, originally called HB10, went into effect on December 1, 2024, despite the opposition of then-Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, after Republicans overrode his veto, taking advantage of the supermajority, they held in both chambers.
Republicans lost the supermajority in the House in the November 5 elections, so in the current legislative session they would need the support of at least one Democrat to override the vetoes of the new governor, Democrat Josh Stein.
Proposals HB78 and HB80 are a response by local Democrats to HB10 and deportation operations ordered by President Donald Trump’s administration.
