A bill that would place undocumented North Carolinians at greater risk of surveillance, detention, and deportation will come to a vote before the North Carolina General Assembly on Tuesday, November 19th. The legislature’s effort to enact the bill comes as President-elect Donald Trump is preparing his administration to “carry out the largest deportation operation in history.”
HB 10 – Require ICE Cooperation & Budget Adjustments mandates that local law enforcement investigate the immigration status of every person brought to a North Carolina jail, regardless of whether they have been charged with a crime.
The bill initially passed in September, after lawmakers added unrelated budget adjustments that would significantly expand private school voucher funding. Shortly thereafter, Governor Roy Cooper vetoed the legislation, citing concerns that it would hurt public schools. The school voucher provisions that the legislature added to the bill would divert $4 billion from public education over the next decade, which experts agree would likely intensify inequalities for low-income students and students of color, including many immigrants and refugees. Those billions of dollars, Governor Cooper said, “should be used to improve our public schools by raising teacher pay and investing in students.”
Now, the General Assembly intends to vote to override Governor Cooper’s veto.
As written, the provisions of the bill that address immigration and law enforcement would require the administrators of jails and other carceral facilities in the state to investigate the immigration status of all people who come into custody and notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of the presence of anyone in its custody whose immigration status is indeterminable. Passing the legislation could lead many immigrants to feel unsafe reporting violence and other harm in their communities and would put members of the North Carolina community at greater risk of deportation.
Should the General Assembly override Cooper’s veto, any individual in North Carolina who is subject to an ICE detainer and facing criminal charges risks being transferred into ICE custody by local law enforcement.
If enacted, the bill would undermine many immigrants’ sense of safety and trust within their communities. The proposal raises constitutional concerns, contains no provisions to protect immigrants who witness or become victims of violence, and would waste resources that could be better spent investing in the schools, neighborhoods, and institutions that make North Carolina strong.
Join us in taking action to urge members of the North Carolina General Assembly to side with immigrant communities and vote “No” on the veto override of HB 10 – Require ICE Cooperation & Budget Adjustments.
CONTACT YOUR NORTH CAROLINA STATE LEGISLATORS TODAY
On the right-hand side, you can send an email to your state lawmakers
Sample Email: “My name is [insert name], and as your constituent from [City/Town] and a [person of faith/refugee/member of my community], I urge you to VOTE NO on the veto override of HB 10 – Require ICE Cooperation & Budget Adjustments.
The bill increases surveillance of immigrant communities by requiring local law enforcement to investigate the immigration status of every person brought to a North Carolina jail, regardless of whether they have been charged with a crime. Should the bill be enacted, any individual in North Carolina who is subject to an ICE detainer and facing criminal charges of any kind risks being transferred into ICE custody by local law enforcement.
If enacted, the bill would undermine many immigrants’ sense of safety and trust within their communities. Passing the legislation could lead many of our immigrant neighbors to feel unsafe reporting violence and other harm in their communities and would put members of the North Carolina community at greater risk of deportation.
The proposal raises constitutional concerns and contains no provisions to protect witnesses and victims of violence, and would waste resources that could be better spent investing in the schools, neighborhoods, and institutions that make North Carolina strong.
Again, please heed the voices of immigrants across North Carolina by voting no on HB 10 – Require ICE Cooperation & Budget Adjustments. Thank you for your work.”
AMPLIFY ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Share this message with your state legislators on social media
@legislator – take the side of justice and VOTE NO on the veto override of HB 10! Investigating the immigration status of everyone in custody stokes fear and wastes resources that could be better spent strengthening our communities. #NCGA
HB 10 risks turning local law enforcement into extensions of federal immigration enforcement, deepening fears among our immigrant neighbors. @legislator, VOTE NO on the veto override of HB 10 to protect the rights of all North Carolinians and uphold community trust.
HB 10, which requires sheriffs to cooperate with ICE, poses serious constitutional concerns and risks endangering communities that contribute to our state’s diversity and economic strength. @legislator, VOTE NO on the veto override of HB 10.
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