Among other things, the HB 370, passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate in June, would have forced the authorities to determine whether the prisoners are US authorized residents and, if they can not, to Inquire about their residency status with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement or the Department of Homeland Security and flag agencies if anyone was illegally in the country. The authorities should also have allowed ICE or DHS officials to interrogate prisoners at the request of detainees and detain them if requested by the federal authorities until their transfer.
In addition, the bill provided that sheriffs would be removed from office if they did not cooperate with the new law, which is being considered as part of the Trump Administration's increased efforts to crack down on illegal immigration. .
Governor Roy Cooper said in a statement that the bill was "political" and used fear to divide North Carolina.
"This bill, in addition to being unconstitutional, weakens law enforcement in North Carolina by forcing sheriffs to do the work of federal agents, using local resources that could undermine their ability to protect their counties, "Cooper said.
The North Carolina Sheriffs' Association, which supported the bill, said in a brief statement that it "regretted" Cooper's right of veto.
Some sheriffs, including Mecklenburg County sheriff Gary McFadden, opposed the bill. In June, McFadden said in a statement that the bill would make communities less safe, costly and prosecute the ministry. McFadden also stated that he did not approve of the association's support for the bill.
"I recognize that other sheriffs and communities may have different views and policies on immigration," said McFadden at the time. "However, we can all agree that HB370 is usurping the power of every sheriff and every local community to establish their own policies."
Cooper's veto adds the governor to a growing list of law enforcement officials and state governments who oppose cooperation with ICE in their respective jurisdictions. In June, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the Chicago Police Service would not submit to the immigration raids that were to take place in nine cities.
CNN's Tina Burnside contributed to this report.
