President Trump Criticizes NC Governor Cooper Over Vetoing HB 370 While At G7 Summit

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Yesterday morning in Paris, France, while meeting with other world leaders, the President of the United States criticized North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper for vetoing House Bill 370.

The bill was largely in response to the sheriffs of Mecklenburg and Wake Counties both  saying they would not be willing to hold undocumented immigrants for ICE.

HB 370 would have included the following changes:

  • Require confinement facilities to comply with detainers and administrative warrants issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
  • Authorize the removal of a sheriff or officer from office for failing to comply with ICE detainers.
  • Require confinement facilities to submit annual reports to the Joint Legislative Oversight
    Committee on Justice and Public Safety (JPS Oversight) regarding compliance with ICE
    detainers.

Last week, Governor Cooper issued the following statement about his veto;

“This legislation is simply about scoring partisan political points and using fear to divide North Carolina. 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. 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.”

Mecklenburg’s Sheriff Garry McFadden also responded by saying:

“I applaud Governor Cooper on the veto of HB370. The bill is unconstitutional and would steal the authority of all Sheriffs to make those discretionary decisions that all Sheriffs are elected to make on behalf of their constituencies.

HB370 would negatively impact public safety in Mecklenburg and other counties whose citizens provided a clear mandate to end 287(g) and to stop honoring ICE detainers. I continue to believe that this misguided and ill-advised bill would threaten the trust that I have spent a career trying to build between law enforcement and the community, including the immigrant community.

My goal remains to work with all law enforcement agencies, state and federal prosecutors, and the judiciary, to implement plans and programs to keep the community safe. If the legislature overrides the Governor’s veto and HB370 becomes the law, I will, of course, direct the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office to abide by it as we do all laws. But for the people of Mecklenburg County I sincerely hope that day never comes.”

On Saturday morning, while at the G7 Summit in Paris, President Trump issued the following statement about our governor’s veto;

“North Carolina Governor Cooper Vetoed a Bill that would have required Sheriffs to cooperate with Ice. This is a terrible decision for the great people of North Carolina. He should reverse his decision and get back to the basics of fighting crime!”

What do you think about House Bill 370, our governor’s veto, and our president’s response to it?

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