MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. -- The Mecklenburg Co. sheriff's race has come down to three candidates, all of of whom have different takes on a key issue.

  • The incumbent candidate is Irwin Carmichael, who was first elected in 2014 and is a former firefighter.


  • Antoine Ensley: Former CMPD Officer and former police chief in Fletcher, North Carolina

 

Of all the issues, the one that seems to be creating the largest divide between the candidates is the 287g program.

The federal program flags jail inmates for deportation proceedings and allows some sheriff's deputies to act as immigration officers inside the jail.

Both McFadden and Ensley are pushing to dismantle the long-standing program, while Carmichael has defended it.