North Carolina Enacts Law Banning Sanctuary Cities, Mandating ICE Cooperation
North Carolina's legislature enacted a law banning sanctuary city policies and requiring state law enforcement to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.[1]
Senate Bill 153, formally dubbed the North Carolina Border Protection Act, requires officers in four state agencies to sign memorandums pledging to collaborate with ICE "to the fullest extent of the law." WUNC The agencies named include the State Highway Patrol, Department of Public Safety, Department of Adult Corrections and the State Bureau of Investigation.[2] The law directs those officers be trained to check immigration or citizenship status of people in custody and to carry out certain functions similar to federal 287(g) agreements.[2] SB 153 creates a cause of action allowing victims of crimes by immigrants without lawful status to sue sanctuary cities.[2] The law explicitly prohibits state-funded benefits, including Medicaid, housing assistance, child care subsidies and unemployment benefits, for noncitizens without lawful status.[2]
On December 1, 2024, House Bill 10 took effect, requiring local jails to attempt to determine whether people in custody were U.S. citizens or legal residents and to notify ICE in specified cases. In June 2025 the legislature passed House Bill 318, which expanded those requirements and mandated 48-hour holds on ICE detainers. Gov. Josh Stein vetoed that bill, and the legislature overrode his veto.
WUNC cited state-level data saying more than 6,300 immigration arrests have occurred in North Carolina since President Trump's second term began.[2] An estimated 425,000 to 450,000 unauthorized immigrants lived in the state in 2023, a figure that frames the scale of enforcement and services affected.
The mainstream summary does not mention that at least nine counties in North Carolina were identified as sanctuary jurisdictions, including Mecklenburg, Guilford, and Wake, which highlights the specific areas affected by the new law. This omission is significant as it illustrates the targeted nature of the legislation and the local dynamics at play, particularly in urban areas that may have differing views on immigration enforcement. U.S. Senator Thom Tillis's identification of these counties in April 2025 underscores the political motivations behind the law and the ongoing conflict between state and local policies regarding immigration.[3]
Additionally, while the summary mentions the requirement for law enforcement to cooperate with ICE, it does not address the broader trend of state preemption of local authority on immigration issues. This trend is part of a nationwide movement, influenced by federal executive orders that threaten funding to sanctuary jurisdictions and compel states to enforce federal immigration laws. Such context is crucial to understanding the implications of North Carolina's law within a larger framework of state and federal immigration policy dynamics.[4]
Show source details & analysis (2 sources)
📊 Relevant Data
An estimated 425,000 to 450,000 unauthorized immigrants resided in North Carolina based on 2023 data.
Profile of the Unauthorized Population: North Carolina — Migration Policy Institute
At least nine North Carolina counties were identified as sanctuary jurisdictions by U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis in April 2025, including Mecklenburg, Guilford, and Wake.
Tillis names nine NC counties as 'sanctuary jurisdictions' — WFAE
📌 Key Facts
- Senate Bill 153 is formally dubbed the "North Carolina Border Protection Act" Senate Bill 153.
- SB 153 requires officers in four state agencies — the State Highway Patrol, Department of Public Safety, Department of Adult Corrections and State Bureau of Investigation — to sign a memorandum to collaborate with ICE "to the fullest extent of the law" SB 153.
- The law directs that those state officers be trained to check immigration or citizenship status of people in custody and to carry out certain functions like federal immigration officers under 287(g) agreements 287(g) agreements.
- SB 153 creates a cause of action allowing victims of crimes committed by immigrants without lawful status to sue so‑called sanctuary cities sanctuary cities.
- The law explicitly prohibits state-funded benefits — including housing assistance, Medicaid, child care subsidies, unemployment and other benefits administered by HHS, Commerce and local housing authorities — for noncitizens without lawful status state-funded benefits.
- WUNC cites state-level data that more than 6,300 immigration arrests have occurred in North Carolina since President Trump's second term began more than 6,300 immigration arrests.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- The WUNC piece specifies that Senate Bill 153 is formally dubbed the "North Carolina Border Protection Act."
- It details that SB 153 requires officers in four state agencies (State Highway Patrol, Department of Public Safety, Department of Adult Corrections and State Bureau of Investigation) to sign a memorandum to collaborate with ICE "to the fullest extent of the law."
- The article spells out that those state officers will be trained to check immigration or citizenship status of people in custody and to carry out certain functions like federal immigration officers under 287(g) agreements.
- SB 153 creates a cause of action allowing victims of crimes committed by immigrants without legal presence to sue so‑called sanctuary cities.
- The law explicitly prohibits state-funded benefits (including housing assistance, Medicaid, child care subsidies, unemployment and other benefits administered by HHS, Commerce and local housing authorities) for noncitizens without lawful status.
- WUNC cites state-level data, noting that more than 6,300 immigration arrests have occurred in North Carolina since President Trump's second term began.