North Carolina Lawmaker Questions Sheriff’s Understanding of Government Structure

Recently, North Carolina Republican state Rep. Allen Chesser expressed surprise during a House Oversight Committee hearing when Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden struggled to answer basic questions about government operations. This inquiry arose following the tragic death of a young Ukrainian woman, Iryna Zarutska, in Charlotte.

During the hearing, Chesser questioned Sheriff McFadden about what branch of government his office operates under. McFadden’s initial response was “Mecklenburg County,” leading Chesser to clarify his question. McFadden then answered “The Constitution of the United States,” prompting Chesser to further explain that he was inquiring about the governmental branch.

When McFadden was asked which of the three branches of government he believed he operated under, he replied, “I believe I fall under the last one… judicial.” Chesser corrected him, stating, “You are incorrect, sir. You fall under the executive.”

Chesser continued to challenge McFadden on how he aligns his duties as an executive officer with his known opposition to cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Chesser highlighted a previous statement from McFadden: “We do not have a role in enforcement whatsoever, we do not have to follow the rules and the laws that are governed by our lawmakers in Raleigh.” McFadden insisted the quote was taken out of context and pertained solely to immigration enforcement.

The sheriff emphasized that his office now adheres to state law mandating cooperation with ICE, adding, “We follow the law, when the law is produced, we follow the law.”

In a subsequent interview with Fox News Digital, Chesser, a former police officer and Army veteran, mentioned he had not anticipated the need to provide “a fifth-grade civics lesson” to a duly elected sheriff. He explained that McFadden has become a notable figure in resisting the enforcement of immigration law in North Carolina, spotlighting his refusal to comply with state law requiring cooperation with ICE detainers for individuals in custody.

Chesser reflected on Zarutska’s death, a refugee who fled Ukraine and was tragically killed on a Charlotte light rail train. He stressed that all North Carolinians and visitors should feel secure and assured that the law is consistently enforced across all counties in the state. “North Carolina is a safe state for all the people who choose to come here, and that is the point of the Oversight Committee hearing—to ensure equitable law enforcement across our state,” he affirmed.

The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office has yet to respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.