Michael Whatley, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in North Carolina, is hammering Governor Roy Cooper over sanctuary policies and alleged failures to cooperate with ICE, arguing those choices have had fatal consequences for residents; this piece examines the incidents cited, the administration actions at issue, and Whatley’s public response.
Roy Cooper’s record as governor has become a central part of the North Carolina Senate fight, with critics insisting his approach to criminal justice and immigration has prioritized advocacy groups over public safety. Opponents point to several high-profile cases from his terms, saying policies enacted or supported under his watch reduced coordination with federal immigration authorities. That framing fuels arguments that state-level decisions have real, sometimes deadly, outcomes for communities across North Carolina.
One frequently cited example involves the release of prisoners during the COVID-19 era and related decisions that critics describe as soft on crime. Reports from the pandemic period show early releases and altered custody practices intended to limit virus spread, but conservatives say those steps had insufficient safeguards. Those critics highlight instances where released individuals later reoffended, using those cases to argue for tougher oversight and stricter accountability.
Another focus is the case of DeCarlos Brown Jr. and the tragic killing of Iryna Zarutska, a case that supporters of tougher policies say demonstrates the danger of lenient release rules. Video of the stabbing circulated publicly and intensified demands for reforms. Conservatives argue that executive orders and pandemic-era releases allowed dangerous people back into society too quickly, and they use these incidents to press for policies that would prevent similar outcomes.
https://x.com/WhatleyNC/status/2090584437150961881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Immigration enforcement and cooperation with ICE are central to the debate as well, with Michael Whatley and allied groups criticizing Cooper for vetoing legislation they say would have required sheriffs to honor ICE detainers. Whatley’s campaign frames those vetoes as a choice to protect noncitizens at the expense of public safety, and he has linked that stance to fatal crimes allegedly committed by individuals in the country unlawfully. For Whatley and other Republicans, the policy debate is not abstract: it is about whether local officials should be compelled to work with federal immigration authorities.
One tragic incident that Whatley highlighted involved James Bagley, who was killed in a hit-and-run in Sylva on August 2. Officials say the driver was Mauricio Josue Alberto Sarmiento, an individual who entered the U.S. as an unaccompanied minor and was later released to a sponsor. Whatley and others contend that, had local officials honored a federal detainer, the suspect would have been held and that Bagley’s life might have been spared. That argument underscores the partisan split over detainers, border policy, and the responsibilities of state and local law enforcement.
The Department of Homeland Security statement referenced in public messaging paints a grim portrait of the sequence of events, noting the detainer lodged by ICE and the subsequent release decisions. DHS officials have used this example to argue that broader federal immigration policies, combined with local noncooperation, can produce tragic results. Republicans have seized on such statements to call for tightened rules and clearer mandates for local agencies working with federal immigration partners.
Whatley’s campaign has repeatedly highlighted other fatal incidents and long criminal records, suggesting a pattern that they attribute to Cooper’s vetoes and policy stances. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has amplified that narrative, pointing to names and cases it says reflect a broader failure to prioritize public safety. These partisan attacks aim to connect policy decisions in Raleigh with real-world consequences felt by families across the state.
Cooper’s defenders argue that sheriffs’ cooperation with ICE raises constitutional and civil rights questions and that local law enforcement should retain discretion. They also say the pandemic-era releases and reunification decisions were part of complicated federal and state responses to public health and immigration systems. That counterpoint frames the dispute as a clash between civil liberties, local control, and public safety priorities rather than a simple choice between compassion and security.
In his social posts and statements, Whatley has used blunt language to press the point: he attributes responsibility for these outcomes to Cooper and the Biden administration’s border and sanctuary policies. Those messages are designed to mobilize voters concerned about crime and immigration ahead of the 2026 midterms. The rhetoric reflects a broader Republican strategy nationwide to make immigration enforcement a top campaign issue.
As the campaign unfolds, Whatley and allied groups continue to roll out narratives linking specific crimes to policy choices, while Cooper and his supporters defend those decisions as grounded in law, public health, or civil rights concerns. The debate is shaping up to be a defining contrast in the race, with each side framing the consequences of governance in starkly different terms. Voters will be asked to weigh competing claims about safety, justice, and the proper balance between state and federal responsibility.
Whatley’s messaging underscores a simple political calculation: remind voters of high-profile tragedies, tie them to Cooper’s record, and argue that different leadership would prioritize law enforcement cooperation and border security. Meanwhile, Cooper’s camp emphasizes discretion, legal constraints, and alternative priorities. The dispute over detainers, releases, and reunification policies has moved from courtrooms and county jails into the center of a hard-fought Senate campaign.
James Bagley would still be alive today if not for Joe Biden and Roy Cooper. Their open border and sanctuary city polices allowed hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens into NC – including Mauricio Josue Alberto Sarmiento.
7 years ago this week Roy Cooper vetoed a bill to force Sheriffs to honor ICE detainers and he will always fight harder for illegal immigrants than our families.
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer asking officials in Jackson County, North Carolina to not release an illegal alien charged with hit-and-run resulting in death.
According to local reporting, the incident occurred on August 2 in Sylva, North Carolina. The victim, 51-year-old James Robert Bagley III, was struck by a vehicle shortly before three in the morning, with the driver fleeing the scene in their vehicle. Bagley was found unresponsive by first responders, who pronounced him dead at the scene.
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ICE lodged a detainer with the Jackson County Jail the same day Sarmiento was arrested.
“This criminal illegal alien from Honduras has been charged with a felony and other crimes after a hit-and-run that killed a man in Sylva, North Carolina,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “If it weren’t for the Biden Administration’s disastrous open borders, James Bagley would still be alive. ICE is asking officials in Jackson County to cooperate and not release this criminal from jail without notifying ICE. By securing our border and deporting illegal aliens, we can save lives and prevent tragedies like this one from ever happening again.”
Sarmiento illegally entered the United States through Texas as an unaccompanied minor in October 2021, and was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol. The Biden Administration then reunified him with an unrelated sponsor, RELEASING him into the country.
7 years ago, Roy Cooper chose illegal aliens over the people of North Carolina when he vetoed a bill that would force Sheriffs to honor ICE detainers.
Happy Anniversary, Roy. You wouldn’t even deport an illegal alien who killed a 6 year old girl.
Cooper will always fight harder for criminals and illegal aliens than the people of North Carolina – despicable.
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