ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. — If ICE makes an arrest in North Carolina, there’s a good chance the suspect’s next stop is the Alamance County Jail.
Sheriff Terry Johnson says as many as 30 ICE suspects are in his jail at any time. He says it used to be only a handful. They are temporary stays. His office also assists with transportation.
In early February, when Channel 9 was embedded with ICE, agents arrested Jose Napoleon Serrano. Following the arrest, he was briefly held in the ICE field office before being taken to the Alamance County Jail.
Sheriff Terry Johnson says ICE has contracts with Alamance County for 40 beds.
“As a sheriff, I took an oath, my hand went on the Holy Bible to enforce the laws of this land not inconsistent with the Constitution,” he said. “And I will do that until the day I die.”
Sheriff Johnson says the ICE inmates must be separated from the general population.
He says his biggest challenge right now is staffing. He’s down 33 officers inside his detention center. He’s offering a $10,000 signing bonus to try to bring people on board. But he said he is committed to helping ICE however he can. He showed Channel 9 photos of money and drugs seized from cartels in his county.
“If ICE asks us to help them, we are going to help them,” he said.
He says the ICE inmates have access to special food if necessary for their diets. They also have spaces to meet with attorneys and allow visitation.
He says he wouldn’t be surprised to see ICE rent more space from other counties across the state as President Donald Trump’s administration prioritizes immigration enforcement.
“I don’t know how many they will hold, but certainly I think under the Trump administration, there’s going to be a demand for more beds in the state of North Carolina,” he said.
Sheriff Johnson is renovating an old North Carolina prison in Alamance County in case it needs to be used to house ICE or Alamance County inmates in the future. ICE is continuing to house inmates in Alamance County despite the expiration of the contract between the two agencies. Sheriff Johnson says the entities are discussing renewal.
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