Swing state's GOP forces through 'common sense' anti-sanctuary bill, despite governor's veto

On Wednesday, North Carolina lawmakers forced through a bill that would effectively ban sanctuary policies.

Gov. Roy Cooper (D) previously vetoed House Bill 10, but the Republican majority in the state legislature voted to override his decision. The Senate passed the bill in a 30-19 vote on Wednesday, following its approval by the House the previous day.

'Common sense measure to help keep North Carolina safe.'

HB 10 will require county sheriffs to honor Immigration and Customs Enforcement's detainer requests, holding illegal aliens for up to 48 hours so they may be transferred to federal custody. It also expands the list of alleged offenses — now encompassing felonies and certain serious misdemeanors — for which law enforcement officers must check an individual's immigration status.

Additionally, the wide-ranging bill includes increasing private school voucher funding, which Cooper has vehemently opposed and appeared to be his biggest hang-up about the legislation.

In his decision to veto the bill in September, Cooper claimed, "Private school vouchers are the biggest threat to public schools in decades."

Cooper also previously told WTVD, "I've vetoed the sheriff's (portion of the bill) a number of times. Obviously, I'm still opposed to that."

Some Democratic lawmakers who opposed the bill argued that it would place an unfair burden on sheriffs.

Rep. Abe Jones (D-Wake) stated, "Tell ICE to do ICE's work."

"Our sheriffs have enough work to do without doing ICE work for free," Jones claimed.

Rep. Carla Cunningham (D-Mecklenburg) argued for "collaboration between local law enforcement and federal agencies like ICE to protect American lives."

Senate leader Phil Berger (R) called the bill "purely common sense."

"I question why anyone in law enforcement — these elected sheriffs — would deny a community the safety that is allowed by taking the process in this way," he told WTVD.

North Carolina GOP also referred to the bill's measures as "common sense."

A spokesperson stated, "Requiring Sheriffs to cooperate with ICE while over 10 million illegal immigrants have poured across the Southern border is a common sense measure to help keep North Carolina safe."

The North Carolina Sheriff's Association voiced its support of the bill ahead of the vote. However, some counties, such as Wake, Durham, and Orange, opposed cooperating with ICE agents.

Wake County Sheriff Willie Rowe stated Wednesday, "First and foremost, my priority remains the safety and well-being of Wake County residents, and I believe effective public safety depends on collaboration, not fear. Following the state legislature's decision to override the Governor's veto of House Bill 10 (HB 10), I want to reaffirm my concerns about the impacts of this law."

The legislation will go into effect on December 1.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!