North Carolina Republicans Aim to Prevent Leading Democrats from Challenging Trump

March 8, 2025 TruthUSA

Legislators are utilizing new laws to prevent their governor and attorney general from obstructing Trump’s agenda.

In North Carolina, Republican lawmakers are leveraging their legislative authority to push the state’s new governor and attorney general, both of whom are Democrats, to align with President Donald Trump’s policies.

The GOP-controlled General Assembly has proposed several bills designed to support the Trump administration’s initiatives aimed at combating illegal immigration and inhibiting lawsuits against his policies.

One proposal introduced on March 6 by House Speaker Destin Hall mandates that state law enforcement hold a detained illegal immigrant for a longer period upon receipt of a detainer and administrative warrant, and it broadens the criteria for verifying a suspect’s immigration status.

Another bill that passed the North Carolina Senate on March 4 would require certain state law enforcement agencies under Governor Josh Stein to collaborate with federal immigration officials.

This collaboration would necessitate training in immigration enforcement for officials from the Department of Public Safety, State Highway Patrol, and Department of Adult Correction under the federal 287(g) program, which allows state and local officials to handle specific immigration enforcement tasks.

Moreover, the bill requires Stein’s budget office to investigate if any illegal immigrants are unlawfully benefiting from state resources.

“North Carolina made it clear in November that they support Donald J. Trump,” state Senator Buck Newton, the bill’s sponsor, stated on March 4.

“This support stems largely from his unwavering commitment to regaining control of our borders. We must take additional measures.”

A nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration was one of Trump’s key promises during his campaign last year.

As this operation unfolds, the administration has encountered resistance from officials in Democrat-led states like North Carolina.

Former U.S. Representative Jeff Jackson, the state’s new attorney general, has filed multiple lawsuits against the administration since Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

Together with other Democratic governors, he has contested Trump’s birthright citizenship policy, NIH funding cuts, and more.

Republicans are keen to prevent the list of challenges from expanding.

New legislation pushed forward by a North Carolina Senate panel on March 5 would prevent Jackson from initiating a lawsuit or pursuing “any argument” that could lead to the repeal of a presidential executive order.

Senate leader Phil Berger contended that Jackson is “opposing policies that the citizens of the state supported when they voted for President Trump.”

However, the attorney general argues that challenging “unlawful” executive orders is vital to his responsibilities.

“A key part of my duty is to be a protector against illegal federal actions that could undermine our economy and damage our future,” he stated on March 6. “For the welfare of our state, that protective role should persist.”

These bills are not the first efforts by Republican lawmakers in recent months to restrict the authority of Democratic leadership.

In December, they utilized their veto-proof majority to pass a law that curtailed the governor’s power to appoint members to the State Board of Elections and limited his authority to fill certain judicial vacancies.

This legislation also prohibits the attorney general from taking any positions that contradict the General Assembly in lawsuits challenging state laws.

Given that Republicans no longer hold a supermajority, they will need to persuade at least one Democrat to join their ranks to override any future vetoes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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