North Carolina Enacts ICE Cooperation Law as El Salvador Expands Consular Services in Raleigh

The North Carolina General Assembly overturned Governor Josh Stein's veto and passed SB 153, mandating four state agencies—the Department of Public Safety, State Highway Patrol, Department of Corrections, and State Bureau of Investigation—to sign agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under federal 287(g). The law enables trained state officers to determine migrants' immigration status, issue certain immigration orders and detain individuals in cooperation with ICE, while also restricting undocumented migrants’ access to some public benefits and limiting UNC system policies on immigration cooperation.

Separately, El Salvador’s consul in Charlotte, Selim Rodas, visited Raleigh to inform the local Salvadoran community about consular services. He emphasized that appointments for passports and identity documents are free, warned against unauthorized intermediaries charging fees, and detailed procedures for birth, marriage, and death registrations, as well as notarizations and visa issuance. Consular documents such as the Documento Único de Identidad (DUI) and passports are provided on the same day without prior appointment, while other services require a modest fee and scheduled visit.