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Gov. Josh Stein vetoes House Bill 318, cites constitutional concerns over immigration detainers
Summary
Gov. Josh Stein returned House Bill 318 with objections, saying the measure would require sheriffs to notify federal immigration authorities and could lead to unconstitutional detention up to 48 hours; he returned the measure for reconsideration and placed it on tomorrow's calendar.
Governor Josh Stein delivered a formal veto message to the North Carolina House on Monday, objecting to House Bill 318 and returning it to the clerk for reconsideration.
In his message read to the chamber, Stein said the bill would "require notification of release to immigration and customs enforcement when a prisoner is subject to an immigration detainer and administrative warrant" and that it would "require sheriffs to unconstitutionally detain people for up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released." He told the House, "My oath of office requires that I uphold the constitution of the United States. Therefore, I cannot sign this bill... Therefore, I vetoed the bill."
Stein also noted his support for holding people who commit serious crimes accountable regardless of immigration status, saying the bill's goals were understandable but that courts — he cited the Fourth Circuit — limit local officers' authority to detain individuals based solely on immigration violations. The governor's statement was recorded as returned to the clerk of the North Carolina House "on this June 2025 at 3PM for reconsideration by that body." The message further noted the bill "is placed on tomorrow's calendar."
The House did not take further debate or a vote on the veto during the session. The veto message and the clerk's notation that the bill would appear on the next day's calendar are the immediate procedural steps recorded in the chamber.
Next steps: the vetoed bill will be on the House calendar for reconsideration at a subsequent session; the transcript does not record any additional floor debate, a reconsideration vote, or amendments during this sitting.
