Hundreds of people are expected to take to the streets of downtown Raleigh on Wednesday evening, fighting back against what they describe as an "attack on immigrant communities" and "violent repression of protesters."
The heightened tension comes after state lawmakers approved Senate Bill 153 – a wide-ranging immigration bill that requires state and local government agencies to cooperate with deportation efforts by ICE officials. The Republican-backed bill would also authorize charging sanctuary cities with crime and preventing undocumented immigrants from collecting state benefits.
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The legislation moved forward amid nationwide protests against ICE and as dozens of protesters packed the Senate gallery then marched to the governor’s mansion on Tuesday.
As the immigration crackdown bill heads to Gov. Josh Stein’s desk, larger demonstrations are planned beginning 6 p.m. Wednesday night in Moore Square.
On Tuesday, Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce addressed how the department is preparing for possible unrest in the city.
"As the chief of police, I will make sure that folks can gather safely, peacefully and exercise their first amendment right," Boyce said. "My job is to make sure this city remains safe, and we’re definitely prepared to do that, if need be."
"We have a lot of practice with protests ... we learned [some things] since 2020," Boyce added. "One is making sure everybody exercises the first amendment but make sure they do it safely."
On Tuesday, members with Democracy Out Loud held a silent protest in front of the Legislative Building as state lawmakers voted on SB-153. Also known as the North Carolina Border Protection Act, it aims to crack down on undocumented immigrants in North Carolina.
“This is an anti-immigration bill so we are going to be out here with signs and trying to let the public known about this bill and why we oppose it,” shared Maddie Segal, a member of Democracy Out Loud.
Another member, Mark Swallow, argued such deportations would having a crippling effect on the state’s economy.
“They pick out food, they pack up our meats, they clean our homes, they build our homes, it’s a significant number,” Swallow said.
Similar protests have taken place across the U.S., including in Los Angeles, where violent clashes erupted for four days straight.
In Raleigh on Tuesday, demonstrators stood in solidarity, but not all agreed with their message.
Ira Mehlman with the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) supports enforcing SB-153.
“We’ve seen countless examples over the past few years of horrific crimes that could have been avoided if we kept them out in the first place or if local law enforcement cooperated with federal law enforcement to get the person out of the country,” he said.
FAIR argues illegal immigration is a fiscal burden in North Carolina.
“This is money that can be used for other price tags in North Carolina,” Mehlman said, attributing costs to public education, health care and policing."