After 24 years at the helm of the Alamance County Sheriff's Office, Terry Johnson lost the November 3 election, ending an administration marked by controversies over racial discrimination and police collaboration with ICE.
His successor, Shannon Long, promises to rebuild trust with the Latino community, which for decades has expressed concerns about the office's policing and immigration practices.
“I believe one of my first goals will be to regain the community’s trust,” Long, the sheriff-elect, said in an interview with Enlace Latino NC.
Long, an independent candidate, defeated Republican Johnson in the November 3 election by a margin of 3,181 votes. He garnered 52.41% of the vote compared to 47.59% for the incumbent, who had held the position since 2002.
After learning the results, Johnson publicly congratulated his successor and said he respected the voters' decision.
“Although the result was not what I hoped for, I fully respect the voters’ decision,” he said in a statement. He also highlighted his administration’s accomplishments and thanked the Sheriff’s Office employees for their service over more than two decades.
Enlace Latino NC Johnson was contacted for further comment, but no response was received before publication.
Two decades of immigration controversies
When Johnson took over as sheriff in 2002, Latinos made up about 7% of Alamance's population. Today they constitute about 17%, according to U.S. Census data.
In 2007, Alamance joined the 287(g) program, which allows trained local agents to perform certain immigration functions through agreements with ICE.
Alejandro García has lived in Alamance for more than two decades. He recalls that after the implementation of the 287(g) program, several members of his community faced deportation proceedings.
“To talk about all those people, especially friends, who are no longer with me, it’s difficult for me to talk about all of that,” she expressed to Enlace Latino NC.
The policing practices of the Johnson administration were also the subject of a federal investigation.
In 2012, the Department of Justice denounced that the Sheriff's Office It systematically discriminated against Latino drivers. According to their findings, Latino drivers were four to ten times more likely to be stopped than non-Latino drivers in certain comparisons.
El federal government sued Johnson that same year. The sheriff denied the allegations, and in 2015, a judge ruled in his favor, determining that authorities had not proven the alleged pattern of discrimination. Both parties reached a settlement the following year that included changes to police policies and training.
Migration cooperation continued in the following years. In 2025, Johnson ended a contract to house ICE detainees in the county jail, although Alamance is still listed in 2026 federal records as a participant in the 287(g) program.
For García, those actions left concerns that persist to this day.
She currently leads Valores, a community organization that conducted nonpartisan civic education activities during the 2026 elections. She explained that they registered more than 300 voters and held more than 4,000 conversations with residents.
For younger residents, he noted, Johnson had been the only sheriff they had ever known. “We’re talking about entire lifetimes,” he said.
History of clashes with protesters
In November 2019, Xavier Adams, then a graduate student at Duke University, was arrested during A protest in Graham against the Alamance Sheriff's Office's collaboration with ICE.
Adams, of Mexican descent, told Enlace Latino NC that an officer pointed him out while he was participating alongside other protesters.
“One of the commanding officers pointed directly at me and said, 'He has to go,'” he recalled.
According to Adams, he was the only person of color in the group and the only one arrested. He later participated in a lawsuit against several authoritiesincluding agents from the Alamance Sheriff's Office. The case was settled out of court for $120,000, without a judicial determination of liability.
“The story was never really about me,” Adams said, adding that her experience reflects broader problems in police treatment of minority communities. “My story, unfortunately, is not unique.”
In October 2020, the Sheriff's Office faced renewed criticism when deputies used pepper spray against participants in a march for racial justice and voting rights in Graham. The operation resulted in arrests and legal action.
The promises of the new sheriff
Long, who will take office in December, said her proposals include establishing a community liaison team and hiring a member of the Latino community to facilitate communication with residents. She also announced plans to strengthen police training in mental health and de-escalation techniques.
On immigration matters, he promised that his agents would not conduct traffic stops for the purpose of identifying undocumented immigrants.
“Are we going to conduct license checks just to target our Latino and Hispanic community? Absolutely not,” he stated.
Long also asserted that he does not intend to use the county jail to house ICE detainees through voluntary contracts. Regarding the 287(g) program, he said he has no plans to reinstate it.
On the other hand, he advocated for greater border control and assured that he would continue enforcing the laws. legislation HB 10 It requires local marshals to comply with certain cooperation procedures with federal immigration authorities in jails.
The new sheriff will be able to review internal policies and voluntary agreements within his authority. Long acknowledged that he still needs to evaluate the office's operations before finalizing all the changes.
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A change that takes time
Johnson's defeat came amid a broader electoral setback for Republicans in Alamance, where other party candidates also lost their races.
The result, therefore, cannot be attributed solely to the immigration controversies of his administration.
For Alamance resident Garcia, Long's victory was a positive surprise, but he believes that regaining the trust of the Latino community will take time.
“The biggest factor in all of this is the feeling of fear,” he stated. “Perhaps this fear will gradually diminish.”
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