Immigration (Citizenship & Naturalization)

This bill, known as the Plyler Educational Protections Act, ensures that all children in North Carolina public schools receive equal access to education regardless of their immigration status or their parents' citizenship. It prohibits schools from denying enrollment, excluding students from programs, or asking for documentation related to a student's or parent's immigration history, with limited exceptions for legal warrants or parental consent. To enforce these protections, the legislation requires schools to create specific action plans that designate a single point of contact for immigration authorities and establish clear procedures for handling their requests on campus. Additionally, the bill mandates that schools notify parents within 24 hours if immigration officials visit the school and provides guidelines for sharing student information only when legally required or authorized.

HB 86, titled "Citizens' Expungement Clarification of 2025," prohibits non-citizens and non-legal residents of the U.S. from clearing criminal convictions or charges from their records through expungement in North Carolina. The bill requires courts to verify a petitioner’s U.S. residency or citizenship status at least 30 days before granting expungement, including potential queries to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It exempts individuals who lawfully entered the U.S. and have filed or are awaiting an immigrant petition with U.S. immigration authorities. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, applying to all expungement petitions filed after that date.

HB 690, "The Citizens Support Act," directs several state and local agencies to ensure that state-funded benefits are provided only to U.S. citizens and noncitizens legally authorized to reside in the United States. The Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Commerce, Housing Finance Agency, and local housing authorities must develop plans to review eligibility criteria and verify the immigration status of applicants for various benefits, including housing, welfare, and medical assistance. State-funded institutions of higher education are required to adopt policies to verify applicants' legal residency for tuition and educational benefits. Additionally, the Division of Employment Security must implement a policy to verify legal residency for unemployment benefit applicants. These agencies are also mandated to report on their implementation progress and any federal laws that prevent them from denying benefits.