Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden says he met in person with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials last week to discuss how the two agencies can better communicate.
McFadden says the meeting focused on improving communication and transparency between his office and ICE, but emphasized that he did not reestablish any formal cooperation.
He says his goal is to ensure safety and clear lines of communication, not to use practices that he believes erode trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities. McFadden ended the county's 287(g) partnership with ICE in 2018, shortly after taking office.
"I don't want to stop ICE from doing their job, but I do want them to do it safely, responsibly, and with proper coordination by notifying our agency ahead of time," McFadden said in a statement.
McFadden says during the meeting, he provided ICE officials with courthouse procedures and contact information to streamline communication and avoid confusion during ICE enforcement operations.
The meeting comes as North Carolina's new immigration law, House Bill 318, took effect at the beginning of October. The law requires sheriffs to honor ICE detainer requests and collect arrested people's immigration status during the booking process. McFadden says his office will comply with the law but will not go beyond what is required.
