ICE accused Mecklenburg sheriff of putting people at risk, but hasn’t offered evidence how
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials recently accused Mecklenburg Sheriff Garry McFadden of failing to “honor” six detainers, alleging he put people at risk.
Yet the agency hasn’t provided any public evidence backing its criticism of McFadden. On Tuesday, the sheriff laid out a timeline of how many times he said he’s asked ICE for the inmates’ names — and gotten no response.
“We are following the law. ICE must do the same,” McFadden said in a statement. “I will not unlawfully detain individuals on ICE’s behalf, and I will not allow misinformation to go unchallenged.”
McFadden could not be reached for further comment Tuesday. Lindsay Williams, a spokesperson for ICE, did not respond to a request for an interview and several phone calls.
McFadden said he complies with state and federal law. Regarding detainers for people suspected of being in the United States illegally, ICE’s website says: “If ICE does not assume custody after 48 hours, the LEA is required to release the individual. The LEA may not lawfully hold an individual beyond the 48-hour period.”
LEA stands for law-enforcement agency.
Sheriff wants communication
As the Trump administration looks to publicize immigration arrests, ICE said in a March 18 news release that federal authorities arrested 24 people in Charlotte, between March 1 and March 8, who the agency said were here illegally. ICE offered few details, including where the arrests took place or who was arrested.
The sheriff has been trying to meet with ICE officials, he said. He gave this timeline in his statement:
The sheriff said he emailed an ICE supervisor in Atlanta on March 18 and asked the agency for its “intentions” for people held in the Mecklenburg jail for 48 hours after their scheduled release, per the detainers. “I received no response on ICE’s intentions going forward,” he said in his statement.
On March 19, McFadden said he emailed the same official to ask about the six people ICE blamed him for. He got no response.
Sheriff’s office public information officer Sarah Mastouri reached out to an ICE media operations supervisor on March 19. ICE told Mastouri to make a request through the federal Freedom of Information Act.
McFadden called that ICE spokesperson on March 20, and the spokesperson claimed he would put McFadden in touch with someone who could share the six names. McFadden never heard back, and his call to another ICE supervisor went unanswered.
Federal indictments announced Tuesday
In another development, new U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced Tuesday that six people were indicted in North Carolina’s western district this month for federal crimes “above-and-beyond simply being in the country illegally,” including crimes involving firearms and reentering the country illegally after being removed.
The indictments were part of “Operation Take Back America,” according to statement from Ferguson, who was sworn in earlier this month. The goal of that operation is to marshal “the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational crime organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime,” the statement said.
This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 5:15 AM.