NC immigrants tout contributions, hoping to head off ICE detainer bill

Advocates for North Carolina's immigrant community – documented and undocumented – used the occasion of tax day Monday to highlight their community's contributions to the state, and to call on lawmakers not to pass a controversial measure requiring sheriffs to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

That bill, House Bill 10, is expected to be one of the first issues Republican legislative leaders take up when they return for their short session next week. It requires sheriffs to cooperate with requests by federal immigration officials to detain suspected undocumented immigrants without a warrant.

In 2018, voters in eight North Carolina counties elected sheriffs who campaigned on a promise not to work with ICE. The following year, GOP lawmakers passed a bill requiring sheriffs to do so, but it was vetoed by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper. The same thing happened in 2021.

In 2024, Republicans have enough votes to override the governor's veto.

The left-leaning advocacy group Carolina Forward says its analysis of census and other data shows the estimated 350,000 undocumented immigrants in North Carolina contribute around $300 million a year to the state in sales, income and property taxes.

Nicole Quick with Carolina Forward said data shows immigrants commit fewer crimes than native-born citizens.

Kelly Morales with Siembra NC, another immigrant advocacy group, says undocumented immigrants are the backbone of industries like construction and agriculture.

"We know about the tireless work that immigrants carry out throughout our state of North Carolina, and how they contribute to the great place that it is," Morales said. "Our members are proud to pay taxes in North Carolina, and we'd like to see those taxes go to fully-funded public schools, toward early childhood education and absolutely toward investigating employers who don't keep their workers safe and who don't pay their wages."

Morales accused Republicans of scaremongering over the crisis at the southern U.S. border, and said North Carolina Republicans are "trying to bring the border to us" in North Carolina.

"We don't have a border, but they're still using similar rhetoric to try to get folks to be scared and vote out against immigrants in November," Morales said.

Republican state legislators disagree. They say every state is a border state because migrants frequently travel north. They often cite the case of a violent felon who was released by the sheriff in Mecklenburg County and went on to commit more crimes.

Senate Leader Phil Berger’s spokeswoman Lauren Horsch also pointed out that an undocumented immigrant arrested in Gates County after a standoff with law enforcement last month was on the federal terror watch list.

"This is a very real problem and one that needs to be taken seriously," Horsch said in a statement to WRAL News. "Requiring sheriffs to comply with ICE detainers is a commonsense public safety measure."

Legislators are expected to return to work April 24.