Durham, N.C. – The Durham Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and Durham County Sheriff’s Office strongly refute the recent designation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that labels Durham County as a “sanctuary county.” This designation is neither supported by law nor facts.
The U.S. Department of Justice has defined “sanctuary” jurisdictions as those that have official policies, laws, or practices that impede cooperation with immigration enforcement or limit compliance with detainer requests issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Durham County has never adopted any ordinance, resolution, policy, or proclamation declaring itself a “sanctuary jurisdiction.” Furthermore, the County does not have any policies/procedures, nor engage in any practices, that would impede cooperation with immigration enforcement or limit compliance with detainer requests.
The County has consistently upheld and complied with all applicable federal and state laws, including legally required cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). To be clear, neither the Board nor the Sheriff’s Office has taken any action that could be reasonably interpreted as interfering with or refusing cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
The inaccurate designation of Durham County is confusing since the County has always complied with all federal and state laws. Additionally, this is deeply concerning as it can negatively impact vital funding for critical services essential to the Durham community. Durham County intends to seek clarification from DHS as to the basis for this inaccurate designation and will take all available measures to ensure that the record is correct and the county’s interests are protected.
“We are asking DHS to provide the reason for this designation,” said Durham County Attorney Larissa Williamson. “There is no legal or factual basis for it, and we aim to defend the County’s reputation and financial integrity.”
Durham County remains committed to lawful governance, public safety, and transparent cooperation with all levels of government.
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