North Carolina Senate Passes Bill to Extend Trump Admin’s Illegal Immigration Policies to State Law Enforcement Agencies

Holds municipalities, counties accountable if they create sanctuary policies

Protects taxpayers by ensuring public benefits are only provided to eligible individuals

Sen. Berger: ‘Democrats are refusing to address the very real threat illegal immigration poses to our state’

Raleigh, N.C. — Today, the North Carolina Senate passed Senate Bill 153, the “North Carolina Border Protection Act,” which seeks to ensure state law enforcement agencies cooperate with federal immigration laws and that residents are protected from harmful Sanctuary City policies. No Democrats voted for the bill.

“It is evident there is a need for change when it comes to sanctuary policies in North Carolina,” bill sponsor Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) said. “The legislature is stepping up to ensure our citizens and communities are safe, but unfortunately Democrats are refusing to address the very real threat illegal immigration poses to our state.”

Senate Bill 153 would do the following:

• Require state law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Public Safety, Department of Adult Correction, the State Highway Patrol, and the State Bureau of Investigation, to enter into memorandums of agreement (MOAs) with the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to fully cooperate with immigration laws.
• Those law enforcement agencies would also be required to determine the immigration status of any person in their custody or under their supervision.
• The Office of State Budget and Management would be required to determine whether, and to what extent, certain state-funded public benefit programs are being provided to unauthorized immigrants and post its findings publicly.
• The OSBM would then be required to take steps to ensure that state-funded public benefits are only being provided to those who qualify.
• While Sanctuary City policies are already prohibited in the state, certain jurisdictions continue to defy state law. To hold them accountable, any county or municipality that creates Sanctuary City policies will have its local immunity waived, thereby allowing citizens harmed by illegal immigrants to sue them.
• Finally, it prohibits UNC System campuses from adopting any policy that does not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement and/or adopting sanctuary school policies.

“The North Carolina Border Protection Act will finally bring peace of mind to those citizens impacted by Sanctuary Cities across North Carolina,” bill sponsor Sen. Buck Newton (R-Wilson) said. “No one should be subject to these harmful policies put in place by their local government, and this bill provides citizens a meaningful way to hold Sanctuary Cities accountable.”

Bill sponsor Sen. Warren Daniel (R-Burke) said, “This bill is the next step we can take to strengthen our state’s response to the Biden Border Crisis. Border control needs to be taken as seriously at the state level as it is by the federal government.”

The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.