Asheville City Councilmember Kim Roney is introducing a resolution that would block the use of city property for civil immigration enforcement.
The proposed legislation follows a weekend when U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrested more than 130 people in Charlotte. Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer has said the city may also be a target for CBP.
Roney announced the proposal outside the Land of the Sky United Church of Christ on Monday. She was joined by faith leaders, union representatives and nonprofit groups that support immigrant communities. She called on the community and local elected officials to support the resolution.
“Gross federal overreach threatens our Hurricane Helene recovery efforts, our budget priorities, our community values, our small and locally owned businesses, and the trust of our local government required to provide true safety for the people who live, work in and visit our mountain home,” Roney said.
The proposal would prohibit CBP from using a city-owned facility, lot or park as a staging area, processing location or operations base for civil immigration enforcement. It also calls for:
- City departments to identify and appropriately mark any city-owned property to prevent unauthorized use for immigration enforcement activities.
- The city manager’s office to create standardized signage for private landowners who want to restrict immigration enforcement activities on their property.
- City departments to make “know your rights” resources available to employees, tenants and security staff at facilities.
Roney said the proposal was created in consultation with members of immigrant communities and insights from other governments that have faced similar challenges from federal immigration agencies.
Buncombe County Commissioner Martin Moore was slated to attend the press conference but he said he had a scheduling conflict. BPR reached out to Moore for comment on whether he plans to introduce a similar proposal at the county level but did not hear back at the time of publication.
Roney, who is running for Mayor, was the lone council member at the announcement. She said she invited every city council member to the press conference and asked them to review her proposed resolution over the weekend.
However, council member Bo Hess, who is the only Latino on the council, disputed that claim on X, saying he was not invited and only learned about it through a county elected official.
In an interview with BPR on Nov. 17, Hess said that when news broke about potential CBP activity in Asheville, he contacted the Department of Homeland Security to express the community’s concerns and asked the agency to reconsider any potential activity in the area.
“My commitment is to real action that keeps people safe as we continue to have conversations regarding the use of city property and local cooperation with federal enforcement,” Hess said. “I want everyone to know that I will support efforts that are community driven, Latino led and grounded in the lived experiences of those most impacted.”
When asked if he would support Roney’s proposal, he said no.
“I am not willing to support anything that uses the trauma and anxiety of Black and brown people for political points and performative political theater,” Hess said.
Instead, Hess intends to work with other council members to pursue solutions that are thoughtful, effective and responsible.
BPR reached out to other council members for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.
There’s no guarantee that Roney’s proposal will be taken up by City Council on Nov. 18. To get an item onto the agenda after it's been set, council members and residents may request additions. The city manager and mayor have the final say. Council members may also force an item onto the agenda with a written request signed by three or more members, according to previous reporting by BPR.
