Five counties in North Carolina, Buncombe, Durham, Chatham, Watauga, and Orange , are on the list of sanctuary jurisdictions, which includes cities and states, which according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “willfully obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration laws and endanger American citizens.”
The statement published on Thursday, May 30, comes after the signing of a executive order by President Donald J. Trump on April 28, 2025.
The order directs Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi to identify and publicly highlight jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
“These sanctuary city politicians are putting Americans and our law enforcement in danger to protect violent, criminal 'illegal' aliens,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a press release.
Formal notification
DHS indicated that each jurisdiction included on the list will receive formal notification of its noncompliance and any potential violations of federal criminal statutes.
Furthermore, DHS demands that these jurisdictions immediately review and revise their policies to align with federal immigration laws and renew their commitment to protecting American citizens, not dangerous "illegal" aliens.
Senator Tillis and the map of North Carolina
As published Enlace Latino NCOn April 29, North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis expressed support for President Donald Trump's executive order to prosecute cities across the country that do not cooperate with immigration agents.
Additionally, in his Facebook post, Tillis published a map of North Carolina, “Protecting Illegal Immigrants and Criminals,” and accused several counties in the state of being santuario because, according to him, “they refuse to cooperate with federal law enforcement and instead protect dangerous illegal criminals.”
The Republican senator targeted Wake, Durham, Orange, Chatham, Guilford, Forsyth, Mecklenburg, Watauga, and Buncombe counties.
Of these counties, DHS does not identify Wake, Guilford, Forsyth and Mecklenburg as sanctuaries.
“We don’t have sanctuary policies. Are we open and welcoming to all ethnicities in the county? Absolutely,” Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead told reporters. Enlace Latino NC following accusations from Republican lawmakers.
The sheriff also noted that no one has clearly defined what it means to be a “sanctuary” city or county at the local level.
“I am a sheriff for all people and will do everything possible to keep all residents safe,” he said.
Watauga County Sheriff Len Hagaman, for his part, said the county's designation is inaccurate and based on misleading information.
“We have never been a sanctuary county,” Hagaman said, Watauga Democrat. “Currently, no Watauga County policy limits our cooperation with federal law enforcement or immigration authorities,” he said.
State Senate Project
In a statewide effort to support President Donald Trump's mass deportation plan, the North Carolina Senate passed a bill that seeks, among other things, strengthen collaboration between state agencies and ICE.
The initiative, SB 153 “North Carolina Border Protection Act”, requires law enforcement agencies to sign 287(g) agreements, delegating immigration enforcement duties to state officials. The proposal also includes sanctions for local governments that violate state immigration laws. It also prohibits counties and cities from adopting "sanctuary" policies, despite the existence of a law that already prohibits them.
Sanctuary cities banned by state law
According to a note recently published by Enlace Latino NC , a jurisdiction is generally considered a “sanctuary city” whether or not it chooses to actively cooperate with ICE.
Federal law allows them to choose not to do so, as long as they do not obstruct the operations of federal agents.
However, there are no sanctuary cities or counties in North Carolina. In 2015, the state General Assembly passed the HB 318This law, which bans sanctuary cities in the state, was signed by then-Governor Pat McCrory.
On the other hand, recent legislation, HB 10, reinforces this obligation by requiring local jurisdictions to honor ICE detention requests.
“In North Carolina, the law already prohibits cities or counties from implementing sanctuary policies. HB 10 reinforces this by requiring local governments to cooperate with ICE in many circumstances, such as honoring detainer requests and notifying ICE when someone may have undocumented immigration status,” said Jaclyn Maffetore, senior staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of North Carolina.
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After the storm
A year ago, Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina. The Latino community responded with something stronger than the storm: solidarity.
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