North Carolina Dem Touts Endorsement From Anti-ICE Sheriff In Gubernatorial Ad

In a bid to kick his soft-on-crime reputation as he runs for governor, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein touted a sheriff’s enforcement in his latest campaign ad.

There’s just one problem: the sheriff in question has worked to shield criminal illegal aliens from deportation.

Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead has repeatedly refused to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a record number of illegal immigrants have come into the United States under the Biden administration.

In his endorsement, Birkhead says Stein has “done everything he can possibly do to make North Carolina safe across all communities.” But Stein has taken heat from law enforcement officials over his record on sanctuary cities, going as far as to claim “there are no sanctuary cities in North Carolina.”

But according to Davidson County Sheriff Richie Simmons, “the threat” of sanctuary cities “is very real.”

“Here’s the truth,” Simmons said in a video released by the Republican Governors Association. “Several North Carolina countries are refusing to cooperate with deportation officials.”

Under Birkhead’s leadership, Durham has become one of those counties.

Shortly after assuming office in 2018, Birkhead announced that he would no longer honor detainers from ICE, which are placed on criminals who are suspected to be illegal immigrants and who may be removable from the United States. The move prevents illegal immigrants arrested for criminal activity from being deported.

In a 2019 press release, Birkhead’s office boasted that the sheriff “stands by his decision to end the practice of honoring ICE detainers.”

Birkhead listed his decision to disobey ICE detainers as an “accomplishment” on his campaign website, claiming “Detainers target marginalized communities.”

“It is unfortunate that ICE is now becoming more active in North Carolina, specifically in Durham,” Birkhead said in a statement included in the press release. “The recent actions of ICE agents are making persons, in our community, afraid of law enforcement. The decision I made to not honor ICE detainers was in part to help ALL of Durham’s people feel safe.”