Bill would bar local and state contracts for immigration detention

Cities, counties, and local or state law enforcement agencies would be barred from signing these detention contracts or maintaining facilities specifically used for civil immigration custody. The limits cover noncitizens held in North Carolina for immigration cases or deportation under federal immigration agencies, known as civil immigration custody. The contract ban covers agreements with the federal government, federal agencies, or private corporations to hold noncitizens in locked immigration detention facilities. These limits would take effect December 1, 2026, if the bill becomes law.

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety would collect information about detainees from immigration detention facilities and report its findings to state lawmakers. The duty covers facilities in North Carolina that hold people for immigration cases or deportation under federal immigration agencies. Required information includes detainees’ demographic details, pending charges, pending citizenship or asylum cases, and detention locations. The department would also collect release dates and deportation dates and locations when applicable. If the bill becomes law, the reporting duty would take effect December 1, 2026. Reports would be due annually by May 1.

The bill would set aside $50,000 from the state’s General Fund for the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. The funding would be a one-time amount for the 2026–2027 fiscal year. The money would pay administrative costs of carrying out the bill. The funding provision would take effect December 1, 2026, if the bill becomes law.