North Carolina Border Protection Act.

"North Carolina Border Protection Act." North Carolina is 600 miles from the nearest international border. We share borders with Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia. The "border" this bill is protecting doesn't exist in this state.

What the bill actually does is mandate that four state law enforcement agencies sign 287(g) agreements with ICE... turning state troopers and SBI agents into immigration enforcement officers. It strips governmental immunity from any city or county with "sanctuary" policies, meaning local governments can be sued by private citizens if an undocumented person commits a crime in their jurisdiction. It bars every UNC System campus from adopting policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. And it instructs DHHS and the Division of Employment Security to review and curtail public benefits for undocumented residents.

Governor Stein vetoed it, saying the bill would make North Carolina less safe by pulling state law enforcement away from their actual jobs. He also pointed out that people without lawful immigration status are already prevented from receiving Medicaid, SNAP, Section 8, and other benefits under existing law. The bill passed the House 106-46 and the Senate 26-17, with no Democrats voting for it in either chamber. Phil Berger called the veto proof that Stein's "allegiances are with far-left donors."

The title implies North Carolina has a border crisis. The bill's actual provisions are about federal immigration enforcement, local government liability, university policy, and public benefits. Calling it the "Border Protection Act" is like calling a property tax bill the "Ocean Defense Act" because some of the money goes to coastal counties.