North Carolina Hearing Highlights Sheriff’s Knowledge Gaps and Immigration Law Enforcement Issues

In a North Carolina House Oversight Committee hearing, Republican state Representative Allen Chesser expressed surprise over a Democratic sheriff’s lack of understanding regarding government functions. The session was convened following the tragic killing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte. During the hearing, Rep. Chesser questioned Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden about the branch of government his office operated under.

Sheriff McFadden, the leading law enforcement officer in Mecklenburg County where the killing occurred, initially responded by stating “Mecklenburg County” when asked by Chesser under which branch of government he operates. Further pressing failed to yield clarity, with McFadden asserting “The Constitution of the United States,” revealing limited awareness by saying, “No,” when asked how many government branches exist.

Chesser explained there are three government branches: legislative, executive, and judicial, prompting McFadden to guess “judicial,” which was corrected to “executive” by Chesser. Further questioning centered on how McFadden reconciles his responsibilities with his stance against cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Chesser pointed out McFadden’s past statements, saying, “We do not have a role in enforcement whatsoever.” McFadden insisted that his comments were specific to immigration enforcement and indicated his office now follows state laws related to ICE cooperation.

Acknowledging an unexpected detour in the discourse, Chesser, an Army veteran and former police officer, suggested that the discussion should not have needed clarity on basic civics. “I was not expecting to have to get into a fifth-grade civics lesson with a duly elected sheriff,” Chesser remarked, indicating disruptions to planned follow-up questions due to this. Nonetheless, Chesser criticized McFadden’s reluctance in enforcing immigration regulations, accentuating the importance of cooperation with ICE, as mandated by state laws.

The issue rose to prominence in light of Zarutska’s death. Chesser stated that public safety should be guaranteed statewide without dependency on county jurisdictions. He stressed the Oversight Committee’s aim to ensure equitable legal enforcement across North Carolina, thus maintaining its status as a welcoming and safe environment.

The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office had not responded to requests for comment regarding the hearing at the time of the report.