Sheriff Terry Johnson sits at his desk Nov. 14 as he explains the imminent drug trafficking trade problem happening within Alamance County.
House Bill 318 now requires North Carolina sheriffs to work more closely with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Originally vetoed by Gov. Josh Stein, the NC House of Representatives and Senate overrode the veto and the bill took into effect Oct. 1.
The Criminal Illegal Alien Act requires sheriffs to contact ICE if a person without legal immigration status is to be charged with a felony, such as certain sexual offenses or DWI. It also requires local sheriffs to notify ICE two hours after the time they would normally be released. If ICE responds, then those detained can be held up to an additional 48 hours until ICE arrives. If they don’t respond, the sheriff releases the person according to bail conditions…