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2w ago

Durham Declares Itself a 'Fourth Amendment Workplace' After Unanimous Council Vote

The measure sets training to protect workers’ search-and-seizure rights without altering federal immigration enforcement.

Anit-ICE protester Mary Rose O'Leary wears the appropriate earrings while joining other activists who march outside the Home Depot in Pasadena in hopes that the store will protect day laborers at the facility on August 6, 2025. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty)

Overview

  • The resolution instructs city departments to uphold Fourth Amendment standards at workplaces and to report any obstacles to effective training back to the council.
  • Action followed a July incident when four ICE agents appeared at the Durham County Courthouse, prompting protests and a pledge of “strategic solidarity” from Mayor Leo Williams.
  • Council member Javiera Caballero sponsored the measure with support from Siembra NC, which is promoting wider adoption among local employers.
  • Durham becomes the second Triangle municipality after Carrboro to adopt this policy, as advocates cite more than 200 businesses statewide embracing similar commitments.
  • The policy exists alongside a new state law requiring sheriffs to cooperate with federal immigration agents, and county officials have rejected a federal “sanctuary” label as lacking legal basis.