Some North Carolina Republicans are voicing concerns that President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in the state could backfire, particularly given the state’s upcoming Senate race. The Trump administration has focused its immigration sweeps on blue states deemed sanctuaries for unauthorized immigrants, but the expansion of these operations into a purple state like North Carolina has raised questions about the effectiveness of the strategy. Concerns include the messaging around the raids, which have been accompanied by viral social media footage and local media reports highlighting the fear and uncertainty among residents. The fear is that the administration’s approach might be undermining the GOP’s traditional advantage on immigration issues.
Former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory warned that recent local coverage, like an incident at a Charlotte shopping center where masked agents arrested a man who claimed to be a U.S. citizen, and a raid at a local country club, may hurt the GOP on an issue it has long dominated. “Republicans had the upper hand on immigration, as long as they were going after the criminals and the gangs, but I think they’re losing the upper hand on that issue because of the apparent disjointed implementation of arrest,” McCrory said in an interview. “From a PR and political standpoint, for the first time, immigration is maybe having a negative impact on my party.”
Edwin Peacock III, a moderate Republican who lost an at-large Charlotte City Council race to Democrats earlier this month, warned of the raids leaving “a real sour aftertaste” with voters. “Is the price of doing this worth it?” Peacock added. “I don’t see this cloud moving away [from] what will be in the voters’ minds.”
In line with the administration’s messaging, North Carolina Republicans have sought to keep public attention on criminal arrests. But their narrative has been overshadowed by viral social media footage highlighting arrests of immigrants without criminal records and local media reports documenting the fear coursing through churches, schools, and local businesses. National polls in recent months show voters largely support removing immigrants living in the country illegally but believe the Trump administration’s tactics have gone too far. Other polls indicate that support for deporting immigrants with criminal records falls when surveyed about the broader pool of immigrants. Republicans are also losing Latino support, as Trump’s deportation agenda has become a point of contention for these voters.
Rep. Maria Salazar (R-Fla.) noted that 200 people were arrested over 48 hours in Charlotte. According to the Department of Homeland Security, 70% of them didn’t have a criminal record. “Kick out the ones that are bad hombres, the ones who have criminal records, the murderers and the rapists,” she said. “But do not touch the lady who has been here for 10, 20 years, contributing to the economy.”
Patrick Sebastian, a GOP pollster based in North Carolina, said voters “draw a clear line” between deporting immigrants who are living in the country illegally and working but not breaking other laws, and unauthorized immigrants who have committed crimes. “In purple states, there’s broad support for removing the latter— and the left looks foolish protesting that,” Sebastian said. “But the other narrative has gotten more play over the past week, and that could be a problem for Republicans.”
Trump administration officials have defended the administration’s North Carolina efforts, with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem telling Fox this week that the agency is going after the “worst of the worst,” people who have “committed robberies, assaults, DUIs, getting them off the streets and keeping people safe.” Meanwhile, ICE and Border Patrol’s presence in North Carolina has become a feature in the contentious Senate race.
Michael Whatley, the former Republican National Committee chair running for the open Senate seat, has used the raids to attack his opponent, former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. In an interview on Fox News this week, Whatley said if Cooper hadn’t vetoed bills requiring local law enforcement to honor ICE detainers, “then these people would not have been on the street.” Since entering the race in July, Whatley has primarily attacked Cooper’s record as governor, calling him “soft on crime.” That became a particularly potent attack in August after a video of the murder of Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte’s light rail went viral.
“Removing criminal illegal aliens isn’t politics — it’s about keeping our communities safe,” Danielle Alvarez, a senior adviser to Whatley’s campaign, said in a statement. “If deporting illegal aliens who’ve molested children, assaulted women, or been convicted of weapons charges is something Democrats want to oppose, that says everything about how far left Roy Cooper and the NC Democratic Party have drifted. Michael Whatley stands with law enforcement and with North Carolina families — period.”
Earlier this week, Cooper criticized the Trump administration’s operation for “randomly sweeping up people based on what they look like.” Cooper campaign spokesperson Kate Smart defended the governor’s record: “Roy Cooper is the only candidate who spent his career prosecuting violent criminals and keeping thousands of them behind bars, and numerous North Carolina sheriffs spoke out against this legislation at the time because of a lack of resources; a problem that Washington D.C. insider and Big Oil lobbyist Michael Whatley has made worse because of his support for cuts to local law enforcement.”
The raids come weeks after Democrats swept off-year elections across the country, including in municipal and county-level positions in North Carolina. Peacock, who lost his own at-large Charlotte City Council bid, said he warned his fellow Republicans that this month’s elections were the “midterms before the midterms.” “I know Whatley and his team aren’t looking at [Charlotte] as a place they can win, but what they’re probably not considering yet is that this region, this city, could define your loss because [Democratic turnout] could be at such exponential levels compared to traditional [norms],” Peacock said.
One GOP strategist working on races in North Carolina, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly, said there’s a risk that the picture of a citizen being separated from their family, rather than the arrests of unauthorized immigrants with criminal records, will stick, adding, “You don’t know what the enduring image is going to be in voters’ minds.”