Sheriff McFadden says he’s scheduled to meet with ICE official about new law
Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden is scheduled to meet with someone from Immigration and Customs Enforcement next week, according to his office.
His spokesperson, Sarah Mastouri, said a tentative date has been set.
That comes after McFadden sent a letter last Wednesday to Maria Somers, a local ICE supervisor — and after years of conflict between the two agencies.
State law requires sheriffs to notify ICE when they suspect someone jailed is not in the United States legally, and then hold that inmate for 48 hours after they would normally be released in case ICE wants to take custody of them.
McFadden has insisted that he has always complied with the law. But ICE officials have accused him of failing to “honor” detainers by not calling them. The Republican-controlled legislature recently passed House Bill 318, requiring that sheriffs’ staff make such phone calls. The law went into effect Oct. 1.
Gov. Josh Stein considered a requirement in the bill — that people be held in jail an additional two days — unconstitutional.
“My concern is that we have not spoken or communicated with anyone from your office locally or regionally regarding (the new law),” McFadden wrote to Somers in his letter last week.
He wanted guidance on a number of things, he said:
- Whom his staff should consider “points of contact” at ICE.
- “Developing uniform processes for transmitting, confirming, and documenting detainer requests, so that sheriffs’ offices can apply HB 318 consistently and efficiently.”
- Understanding how the two agencies could coordinate on pick-up times.
- Training detention staff on the new process.
- “Resource support,” which could include “staffing assistance” or technology to help “manage the additional workload” created by the new law.
Local ICE spokesperson Lindsay Williams did not respond when a reporter asked this week about the meeting.
In an interview with The Charlotte Observer and Enlace Latino NC in August, Somers said she wanted to improve ICE’s reputation in Charlotte.
Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.
This story was originally published October 10, 2025 at 5:00 AM.