ICE says nearly 1,400 detainers in North Carolina were not honored

False

Credible evidence contradicts the statement. Learn more in Methodology.

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oversight

State or local records and ICE data show about 1,400 ICE detainers in North Carolina were not honored and corresponding individuals were released from custody.

Source summary

ICE lodged an arrest detainer for Juan Ramon Juarez-Talamantes, a Mexican national arrested in Asheville on November 19, 2025, on two counts of rape of a child under 15 and later charged with a third count after a third victim was identified. The agency says local sanctuary policies in North Carolina have led to nearly 1,400 detainers not being honored and is urging Asheville officials not to release the suspect without notifying ICE. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin publicly condemned the alleged crimes and called for local cooperation with ICE; the release notes that victims can contact the VOICE Office for support.

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Latest fact check

DHS has repeatedly claimed "nearly 1,400" ICE detainers in North Carolina were not honored. However, independent reporting and state officials found this figure is misleading: PolitiFact and local sheriff’s offices reported no evidence that 1,400 undocumented people were currently sitting in North Carolina jails refusing transfer to ICE, and North Carolina enacted a 2024 law requiring sheriffs to notify and (in many cases) honor ICE requests; sheriffs in major counties said they were complying with the law. DHS’s statements did not specify the timeframe or methodology for the 1,400 figure, and reporting indicates the number likely aggregates unhonored detainers over multiple years and contexts rather than current, active jail releases. Verdict: False — the available evidence does not support DHS’s implication that nearly 1,400 currently unhonored detainers led to the immediate release of that many criminal noncitizens from North Carolina jails.

Sources

Timeline

Update · Feb 11, 2026, 10:09 AMFalse
DHS has repeatedly claimed "nearly 1,400" ICE detainers in North Carolina were not honored. However, independent reporting and state officials found this figure is misleading: PolitiFact and local sheriff’s offices reported no evidence that 1,400 undocumented people were currently sitting in North Carolina jails refusing transfer to ICE, and North Carolina enacted a 2024 law requiring sheriffs to notify and (in many cases) honor ICE requests; sheriffs in major counties said they were complying with the law. DHS’s statements did not specify the timeframe or methodology for the 1,400 figure, and reporting indicates the number likely aggregates unhonored detainers over multiple years and contexts rather than current, active jail releases. Verdict: False — the available evidence does not support DHS’s implication that nearly 1,400 currently unhonored detainers led to the immediate release of that many criminal noncitizens from North Carolina jails.
Original article · Feb 10, 2026
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