North Carolina State Rep. Allen Chesser expressed shock on Monday after a Democratic sheriff failed to identify the branches of government during a House Oversight Committee hearing. The hearing was convened to address public safety following the tragic killing of Iryna Zarutska, a young Ukrainian refugee, in Charlotte. Chesser questioned Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden about his refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
The exchange took an unexpected turn when Chesser asked the sheriff what branch of government his office operates under. McFadden initially answered "Mecklenburg County" and later "the Constitution of the United States." When Chesser pressed him on whether he knew how many branches of government exist, the sheriff replied, "No."
"I was not expecting to have to get into a fifth-grade civics lesson with a duly elected sheriff," Chesser said in an interview with Fox News Digital the following day. After Chesser listed the three branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—McFadden incorrectly guessed he fell under the judicial branch. Chesser corrected him, noting that law enforcement falls under the executive branch.
Chesser used the baseline to question how the sheriff reconciles his duty to enforce the law with his previous public opposition to ICE. McFadden had previously stated that his office did not have to follow rules and laws governed by state lawmakers in Raleigh. The sheriff claimed that quote was taken out of context and only applied to immigration enforcement.
"We follow the law, when the law is produced, we follow the law," McFadden affirmed during the hearing. He stated that his office is now abiding by state laws that require cooperation with ICE detainers. Chesser remains skeptical, noting that McFadden has made himself a centerpiece in the refusal to enforce immigration law in North Carolina.
The representative emphasized that public safety should not depend on which county a person is standing in. He argued that all residents and refugees should be able to count on the equal application of the law across the state. The Oversight Committee continues to investigate how local non-cooperation policies may have impacted the safety of citizens like Zarutska.