ALERT: Asheville May Be Targeted by ICE – Know Your Rights Now

(Asheville, North Carolina) Asheville officials are warning that the city “may be a targeted city” for upcoming U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, as local leaders scramble to reassure immigrant families and stress civil rights protections ahead of possible raids.

Mayor Esther Manheimer said on Friday, November 14, 2025, that the city had been told to expect federal activity after North Carolina Governor Josh Stein announced an expected deployment of ICE and Border Patrol agents in the state.

“We have learned that Asheville may be a targeted city. I stand with the Governor in his strong statement in support of all of our civil rights.”

She added that the city values its strong relationships with all members of the community and remains dedicated to building trust while upholding the law. “We believe every person, regardless of immigration status, should feel safe in the community they call home,” said Manheimer.

Her statement placed Asheville squarely in a fast‑moving national debate over immigration enforcement, police cooperation with federal agencies, and community trust. Families across the city, especially in mixed‑status households where some members lack legal immigration status and others are U.S. citizens, are now weighing how to respond if ICE agents knock on their doors.

Governor Josh Stein framed the issue as one of both public safety and basic rights.

“Public safety is the top priority for all of us in government – and that means fighting crime, not stoking fear or causing division. We should all focus on arresting violent criminals and drug traffickers.”

He added that, unfortunately, that’s not always what has been seen with ICE and Border Patrol agents in Chicago and elsewhere around the country, citing recent high‑profile operations in other major cities.

The concern in Asheville comes as federal officials increase immigration enforcement in North Carolina. Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden confirmed that Customs and Border Protection agents could begin immigration operations in Charlotte as soon as Saturday, November 15, 2025. That timing has fueled anxiety that Asheville could see similar actions within days, or even hours, of the Charlotte operations beginning.

City leaders in Asheville have responded with a mix of legal reminders and public assurances designed to calm residents who fear being swept up in ICE operations. Asheville City Council member Bo Hess said he moved quickly to seek answers from Washington and to send a signal to local families worried about being detained.

“I have reached out to leadership at the Department of Homeland Security to express concern about sending ICE into our city and to seek clarity about their intentions.”

He wrote that “Asheville is a welcoming community, and we will defend the trust we’ve built with our residents. If you or your family need support, guidance, or information, please do not hesitate to reach out. You are not alone—and you belong here.”

Local officials have also tried to draw a clear line between federal immigration enforcement and the role of city police. Asheville Police Chief Lamb said his officers will not be acting as immigration agents.

“APD does not have the authority to enforce immigration law,”

said Lamb, a point city officials have repeated in public briefings and online updates as concern over ICE raids has grown.

The Department of Homeland Security recently removed Buncombe County, where Asheville is located, from its “sanctuary jurisdiction” list. That change suggests federal officials no longer classify the county as refusing cooperation in the way some large cities have, but Asheville leaders say it has not altered their stance on key protections. Local officials have questioned the criteria used to place counties on, and remove them from, that list and maintain that, in practice, the city still limits cooperation with ICE in sensitive locations such as schools and churches unless agents present a valid court order signed by a judge.

At the heart of the city’s response is a push to make sure residents know their rights if confronted by ICE or Border Patrol agents. In English and Spanish community meetings, on social media, and through local advocacy groups, lawyers and organizers have stressed that people in Asheville, regardless of their immigration status, do not lose fundamental legal protections when federal agents arrive.

Residents are being reminded that they have the right to remain silent and do not have to answer questions about their immigration status, where they were born, or how they entered the country. They are being told they can calmly state that they choose to remain silent and ask to speak with a lawyer. Lawyers working with advocacy organizations say those basic phrases can make a real difference in the first moments of an encounter with ICE.

A central point for many Asheville families is what to do if agents come to their door. Community groups are explaining that people do not have to open their door to ICE unless agents show a valid warrant signed by a judge, with the person’s name and address clearly listed. In contrast, administrative warrants commonly used by immigration officers, such as ICE Form I‑200 or I‑205, are issued by immigration officials themselves, not judges. Residents are being told that those administrative documents do not require them to open the door, and that they can ask agents to slide any papers under the door or hold them up to a window to be inspected without unlocking it.

Lawyers also stress that people in Asheville have the right to refuse consent to a search of their home, their car, or their personal belongings. Unless ICE agents have a judicial warrant that specifically authorizes a search, residents can clearly say they do not agree to a search and keep doors closed. That refusal does not stop agents from coming back with a valid warrant if they later obtain one, but it does protect people from giving up rights they may not realize they have.

When encounters happen in public spaces rather than at home, the legal rules can feel less clear to those caught up in an operation. Advocates in Asheville are telling residents that if they are stopped in public by ICE or Border Patrol, they can ask, calmly and directly, whether they are free to leave. If the agent says yes, they can walk away without answering further questions. If they are told they are being detained, they can again ask to speak to a lawyer and decline to sign documents they do not understand.

The advice not to sign anything without legal guidance has been repeated often in Asheville’s immigrant neighborhoods since Manheimer’s statement. If someone is detained, attorneys say, the safest course is to keep asking for a lawyer and not to sign forms or documents that might give up the right to see an immigration judge or to apply for relief. Even people who have lived in the United States for many years may not realize that signing certain papers during a fast‑moving ICE process can make it much harder to challenge removal later.

As fears of raids spread, local leaders have stepped up efforts to show that Asheville institutions remain open to everyone, regardless of immigration status. Manheimer and Hess have both urged residents who feel threatened to reach out to city offices or trusted organizations for help. They say the city’s message is not only about legal rights but also about belonging in a community that has tried to present itself as welcoming. “Asheville is a welcoming community, and we will defend the trust we’ve built with our residents,” Hess wrote, tying the current moment to years of work between city government, immigrant communities, and local nonprofits.

The tension between federal immigration efforts and local policing is not unique to Asheville. Recent operations involving ICE and Border Patrol in cities like Los Angeles and Chicago have sparked protests and debates over whether such enforcement actions actually improve public safety or instead push undocumented residents further into the shadows. Stein’s reference to “ICE and Border Patrol Agents in Chicago and elsewhere around the country” placed North Carolina’s situation within that larger national pattern.

For Asheville, the immediate question is what federal operations will look like on the ground and how many people might be affected. While the Department of Homeland Security has not publicly detailed plans specific to the city, the fact that Mecklenburg County’s sheriff expects CBP agents to begin operations in Charlotte as early as November 15, 2025 has raised the stakes. Community groups say even rumors of raids can lead to lasting changes in behavior, as parents avoid taking children to school, workers skip shifts, and witnesses become reluctant to speak to police.

That is one reason Chief Lamb’s statement that “APD does not have the authority to enforce immigration law” carries weight in Asheville’s current debate. City leaders hope that by separating local policing from ICE, they can encourage residents to continue reporting crimes and cooperating with investigations, even as federal agents conduct immigration operations in the region. Officials stress that the Asheville Police Department’s focus remains on investigating local crimes, not checking documents or asking about immigration status.

Behind the scenes, advocacy organizations are distributing “know your rights” cards, organizing emergency planning sessions, and lining up volunteer lawyers. Families are being encouraged to write down important phone numbers, appoint trusted people to pick up children from school if a parent is detained, and keep copies of key documents in a safe place. While these efforts are driven by community groups rather than city hall, they echo the core message from Asheville officials: know your rights, stay calm, and seek legal advice if you or a family member are approached by ICE.

The federal government maintains its own information on immigration enforcement and removal processes through agencies such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but Asheville’s leaders are clearly trying to bridge the gap between dense federal rules and the immediate fears of families who worry about a knock at the door. By tying legal rights to broader civil rights and public safety, officials in Asheville are attempting to manage a moment of uncertainty that could reshape the relationship between immigrant communities and the city for years to come.

As the weekend approaches and the expected start date for operations in Charlotte draws near, the mood in Asheville is a mix of anxiety and resolve. On one side is the prospect of heightened immigration enforcement by ICE and Border Patrol; on the other, a coalition of city officials, civil rights advocates, and local residents insisting that, whatever a person’s immigration status, they should still feel safe in the city they call home.