A North Carolina Superior Court judge has thrown out a petition aimed at removing Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden from office, despite allegations of corruption, retaliation, and a threat against a state legislator. The decision, issued Thursday, cited a lack of jurisdiction.
The petition was filed by State Rep. Carla Cunningham and four former employees of the sheriff’s office. Cunningham claims McFadden warned her that Mecklenburg County residents would “come after” her if she supported a veto override on House Bill 318, also known as the Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act. The law, now in effect, requires local law enforcement to hold certain suspects for 48 hours after notifying ICE.
Cunningham was the only Democrat to support the override, which tightened immigration enforcement across North Carolina.
Joining Cunningham in the petition were former sheriff’s officials Marcia Crenshaw Hill, Kevin Canty, Juan Delgado, and Bryan Adams. The group accused McFadden of mismanaging the county jail, retaliating against whistleblowers, abusing internal affairs processes, and fostering workplace favoritism. They also alleged misuse of department resources and a refusal to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement — a key issue since McFadden ended the 287(g) ICE cooperation program on his first day in office.
Despite the judge’s dismissal, the controversy is far from over. McFadden is expected to appear before the North Carolina House Oversight Committee on January 29. Additionally, an investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation is underway, initiated by Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather.
The judge’s ruling halts the current removal effort but leaves the door open for further political and legal scrutiny as tensions remain high around immigration enforcement and local law enforcement’s role.
