Immigration enforcement is typically a federal responsibility, but in recent years, local sheriffs have been pushed into the spotlight when it comes to controversies around who's detained and how cities work with federal authorities. As a result, sheriffs have increasingly been pressured to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, turning immigration into a major issue in the Mecklenburg County Sheriff race.
Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden is running for a third term. He says immigration enforcement is not the sheriff’s job, but he says his agency still has to comply with state law by cooperating with ICE in the jail.
“We do not have a role in enforcement whatsoever," McFadden said. "We do have to follow the rules and the laws that are governed by our lawmakers in Raleigh.”
McFadden ended the jail’s voluntary participation in an ICE enforcement program known as 287(g) when he took office in 2018. In recent years, however, McFadden and ICE have clashed over whether he is cooperating with the federal agency.
“It started with ICE going to the media to talk about meetings that we have privately and publicly chastised me," McFadden said. "And so then I believe that was the only way that we could communicate also with ICE.”
He says that communication has improved, but could still be better. McFadden’s also faced criticism about how he’s run the Sheriff’s Office, including allegations of a hostile workplace and a removal petition backed by fellow Democrat N.C. House Representative Carla Cunningham.
“It is definitely a smear campaign," McFadden said. "The timing is politically worse.”
McFadden’s challengers say the criticism has damaged public trust, and they describe his communication with ICE as unprofessional.
c spent three decades with the sheriff’s office. Collins says the sheriff can follow state law around immigration cooperation without public conflict.
“I don’t think that this community is better served through contentious relationships and constant public feud going back and forth," Collins said.
Collins says the job requires cooperation and, most importantly, professionalism with ICE.
“I think that though we may not agree on our stance on how these things should play out, but we still have an obligation to be professional, to follow the law, and to collaborate as best we can,” Collins said.
Another challenger is veteran law enforcement officer Ricky Robbins. Robbins says he would comply with state law, but believes disagreements with ICE should be handled privately, not publicly.
“I don’t believe in doing that in the news," Robbins said. "I believe the problems that I have with ICE and anybody else can be addressed without it being a news item.”
Robbins argues that the approach doesn’t solve anything.
“Every time getting upset is not going to solve the problem," Robbins said. "So sometimes some of these things need to be handled, but handled correctly, and I'm not going to do anything to put the citizens of Mecklenburg County at a disadvantage.”
The fourth candidate is Antwain Nance, a union representative and former detention officer. Nance also criticizes McFadden’s communication, saying the sheriff’s office hasn’t always been clear.
“I believe that it's important to be strong and have strong communication with the public, and I think that's something he has not been good at doing," Nance said. "He's left thing to be left things to be assumed.”
Nance says his focus would be regular public outreach, including more direct communication with Latino residents.
“What I want to do differently is have strong communication with the public, not just personally, actually being involved with the police, saying, 'hey, this is what's going on,' being very involved in the Hispanic community, let them know what's going on,” Nance said.
All four candidates said they would not cooperate with ICE beyond what is required by state law. The sharpest divide in the race is less about policy and more about leadership style — whether the sheriff should publicly confront ICE or keep disagreements behind closed doors.
McFadden, a former homicide detective who had a reality show before becoming sheriff, rejects claims that he has been unprofessional and says voters should focus on experience.
“Just our resumes of what we have done in our years in law enforcement, there is no comparison whatsoever," McFadden said.
There are no Republican candidates in the race. Whoever wins the March 3 primary will become the next Sheriff.
