(The Center Square) – Two dozen people illegally in America were taken out of North Carolina’s Queen City from March 1-8, says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Collectively, charges include 13 aggravated felonies or other violent offenses; three firearms and weapons offenses; two MS-13 gang member affiliation cases; assault on a federal officer; five property crimes; and 11 charges of driving while impaired. Charlotte, population nearly 925,000, is the 14th largest city in America and six of the 24 had active immigration detainers not honored by the county sheriff.
Another 18 people with detainers not honored by the sheriff have thus far eluded lawmen.
Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden on his first day in office six years ago ended the ICE cooperation program known as 287(g).
Conservative lawmakers in Raleigh have consistently, including this session, pushed for all law enforcement agencies to cooperate with ICE detainers. Democrats have filed legislation, destined to die in a committee of the chamber majority, to create sanctuary locations.
Congressmen from North Carolina have also been active with legislation strengthening America’s borders.
“ICE has been unable to locate those individuals,” a release says of the 18 fugitives, “and they remain at large and pose a potential danger to the community. These aliens could have been safely and efficiently transferred into ICE custody if their detainers had been honored.”
Anyone crossing a United States border without authorization is in violation of federal law. Suspects are subject to administrative arrest and criminal prosecution, the release says.
In addition to ICE, lawmen with the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives helped round up the suspects.
