House Bill 318 recently passed the N.C. House. It would require sheriffs to cooperate with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detainers when individuals are charged with serious crimes, including violent misdemeanors like sexual battery.
Yet all three of Buncombe County’s representatives — Eric Ager, Lindsey Prather and Brian Turner — voted against the bill. Sheriff Quentin Miller has made it clear that his office opposes these policies, too.
I have to ask: Who are our local leaders really protecting?
HB 318 isn’t about immigration politics — it’s about keeping dangerous individuals off the street. If someone is in the country illegally and facing criminal charges, law enforcement should notify ICE before release. That’s not controversial. That’s common sense.
When local leaders side with ideology over safety, voters should take notice. I hope Buncombe County residents remember these votes — and these public statements — when they return to the polls in 2026.
— Jim Fulton
Arden
