Gov. Roy Cooper wasted no time in vetoing legislation requiring North Carolina sheriffs to hold county jail inmates wanted by federal immigration officials for possible deportation.
Less than 24 hours after the House gave final approval to House Bill 370, Cooper said he wouldn’t sign it into law.
“This legislation is simply about scoring partisan political points and using fear to divide North Carolina,” Cooper said in a statement. “As the former top law enforcement officer of our state, I know that current law allows the state to jail and prosecute dangerous criminals regardless of immigration status.
“This bill, in addition to being unconstitutional, weakens law enforcement in North Carolina by mandating sheriffs to do the job of federal agents, using local resources that could hurt their ability to protect their counties,” the governor continued. “Finally, to elevate their partisan political pandering, the legislature has made a sheriff’s violation of this new immigration duty as the only specifically named duty violation that can result in a sheriff’s removal from office.” Read more…
