Durham leaders pass ‘Fourth Amendment workplace’ to help protect city workers from ICE raids

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — This week, Durham became the second city in the Triangle after Carrboro to pass a Fourth Amendment workplace resolution.

The 4th Amendment deals with protections against unreasonable searches and seizures, and Mayor Leonardo Williams said that means standing up for due process.

“We are making sure that we are standing up for the law. And you can’t be selective on that,” Williams said.

The unanimous council resolution is aimed at protecting city workers against ICE raids or arrests – the mayor says it’s about upholding the law.

“Everyone deserves due process, even in the justice system. And what we want to make sure that we are doing is follow the action following the actual Constitution, following the law,” Williams said. “And we just put that into a resolution to reaffirm that that is going to be our position as it relates to engaging potentially with ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”

It all comes amid fears in the immigrant community, months after an ICE officer was seen at the Durham County Courthouse, sparking protests.

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“I had to make a values action. And I thought about the individuals that keep our economy running. I thought about the individuals that are working so many of the jobs here in Durham,” Williams said. “I thought about the people who are actually following the law, who are actually you know, just paying their taxes and contributing to just the quality of the quality of life in Durham.”

It’s something also trickling into the healthcare field. At a healthcare workshop on Saturday, Hispanic community leaders say immigration status may also prevent people from getting health care if they need it.

“That was one of the topics of one of the panels, asking some of the providers if they’ve seen that less people are coming for the services. And the response was, yes, because of the fear of what is going on, and also the fear, all the information we share with the government and all those issues we are seeing,” said Pilar Rocha-Goldberg with El Centro Hispano.

The mayor is also making it clear that the move doesn’t stop ICE from doing its job, since the city doesn’t have jurisdiction.

“We do not have any jurisdiction over ICE, but what we can do is make sure that we exercise our First Amendment rights, and there’s nothing illegal about that, and damn it, we’re going to keep doing it,” he said.