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Sheila Arias's picture

As caring people, we all want the same thing – a safe place for our families to live and thrive. We all want our children to live in peace and safe from danger. But North Carolina leaders introduced a new bill that could endanger many immigrant children and families! 

QUICK SIGN: Tell North Carolina leaders to stop the attacks on immigrant families! *When you click, you’ll automatically send the letter below to your state representative if we already have your information. 

What’s happening? North Carolina House Bill 10 would force local sheriffs to collaborate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This would deter immigrants from reporting sexual assault or domestic violence to the police and put members of our community at risk of deportation! Something as simple as a traffic violation, requiring no jail time, can put people on track for deportation, blurring the lines between the criminal system and the immigration system. 

Unfortunately, this bill is moving extremely fast. It is being heard at the General Assembly.

Other states have already shown us that anti-immigrant bills like this one only worsen the relations between communities and law enforcement. Across North Carolina, raids have separated families, traumatized children, and terrified communities. Titled “Require Sheriff Cooperation with ICE,” HB10 would only make this worse, forcing families further into the shadows, making them afraid to report sexual assault or domestic violence to the police and fearful of leaving their homes to go to work, to take their children to school or doctor’s appointments, or to participate in their communities. 

This bill would also lead to more family separations, causing significant trauma to the children impacted, with the potential for lasting psychological and physical harm, as well as creating unnecessary burdens on North Carolina’s already overstressed foster care system.

This bill would not make any of us safer. We know that extreme anti-immigrant laws like this one instead harm public safety by spreading fear and eroding trust between law enforcement and the communities they are sworn to protect.

QUICK SIGN: Stop HB10 from terrorizing communities! Tell North Carolina legislators to stop the anti-immigrant attacks! *When you click, you’ll automatically send the below letter to your state representative if we already have your information.

In 2019, Governor Roy Cooper vetoed a similar Bill, HB 370. In 2018, North Carolina voters in many of the state’s largest communities elected sheriffs who oppose anti-immigrant programs and have refused to do ICE’s bidding. This is our chance to make sure we end these anti-immigrant attacks once and for all. Some politicians want to divide and distract us, but we know that together we have the power to demand that leaders do right by all our children across North Carolina. 

Don’t forget to add your name! When you click, you’ll automatically send our letter to your representative that reads: 

Dear Representative Deb Butler: 

As your constituent and someone concerned about children and families in our state, I urge you to oppose HB 10, “Require Sheriffs to Cooperate with ICE.”

HB 10 would undermine the relationships between immigrant communities and local law enforcement, deterring immigrants from reporting sexual assault, domestic violence, or other community concerns and ultimately making our state’s communities less safe.

This bill would also lead to more family separations, causing significant trauma to the children impacted, with the potential for lasting psychological and physical harm, as well as creating unnecessary burdens on North Carolina’s already overstressed foster care system.

Our state’s local resources should not be wasted doing the work of federal immigration officials, especially at a cost to public safety. 

I strongly urge you to oppose HB 10.

**Make sure to sign our letter now calling on North Carolina legislators to stop the anti-immigrant attacks! *When you click, you’ll automatically send a letter to your representative if we already have your information. 

The more people who speak out, the bigger our impact. Please take a moment to share our action link with your friends, family and on social media: https://action.momsrising.org/sign/NCImmigration/


The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of MomsRising.org.

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