CHARLOTTE – Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden announced today that the county will terminate its 287(g) program, a partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that funds local law enforcement agencies to engage in federal immigration enforcement activities. Since it began in 2006, Mecklenburg County’s 287(g) agreement has led to the deportation of 15,000 Mecklenburg residents.
“Voters made it clear that Mecklenburg County should not help fuel the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant agenda, and we are glad to see the new sheriff hold himself to that promise,” said Karen Anderson, Executive Director of the ACLU of North Carolina. “The 287(g) program encourages widespread racial profiling, diverts local law enforcement resources, and harms relationships between local law enforcement and the communities they serve. We applaud Sheriff McFadden’s quick action to implement a new model for safety and justice and will continue to work with our partners to ensure all collaboration between ICE and local law enforcement is ended in Mecklenburg.”
During the 2018 elections for sheriff in Mecklenburg and Wake County, the ACLU invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in a nonpartisan campaign to educate voters about the candidates’ positions on crucial civil rights issues, including the 287(g) program. Voters in both Mecklenburg and Wake County rejected these policies, electing candidates who vowed to end the program in their respective counties.
