|
Hi neighbors,
Welcome to our third week! It’s been great to see our community of readers grow so quickly and to read messages stating your support. To those of you joining us for the first time this week: Welcome!
I don’t know about y’all, but my shady backyard is still a solid brick of ice. My dogs seem to love it – especially my husky mix, Keira. My husband and me… Not so much. It has made our short walk to and from our cars a treacherous feat. I was sitting at The Blend with my friend Katie-Beth Schultz (the face behind Roundabout Burlington) midday Thursday when we noticed flurries coming down. We both audibly groaned.
Weather aside, right now my focus here is on the upcoming primary election and our county’s budget. Here’s a cheat-sheet from our local Board of Elections with handy information about Early Voting, which begins Thursday. I’m printing a copy and putting it on my fridge door!
In today’s lead story, we take a look at the county jail. I sat down with Sheriff Terry Johnson (who is running for a seventh term in office). He explained how the end of the jail’s federal contract with ICE, combined with the new requirements of "Iryna’s Law," is changing jail operations and highlighting new funding needs for his office.
Here’s what else you’ll find in today’s issue:
-
A curated roundup of local news, including updates from NC Local, the nonprofit newsroom that produces The Alamance Fabric.
-
In partnership with the Power + Place Collaborative, we remember the late Jane Sellars, founder of the African American Cultural Arts & History Center here in Alamance County.
-
Lots of things to do! From city council meetings to outdoor adventures and Valentine’s Day events, we’ve highlighted a few ways you can get involved and stay connected this week.
Thanks for being part of this, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson during an interview at the John Hardie Stockard Law Enforcement Building in Graham, N.C. on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. Credit: Laura Brache / NC Local |
What’s changed in the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office partnership with ICE?
For years, the Alamance County Detention Center served as a deportation way station. Federal officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, made agreements with local law enforcement to house people in federal custody at local jails and prisons.
In Alamance, stays ranged from 2-4 days and transfers to Alabama and Georgia immigration detention facilities happened twice a week. Within its first 18 months under its contract with ICE, the jail housed nearly 800 detainees at a rate of about $66 a day, according to an inspection report from 2008.
The first agreement from 2007 lasted until 2012. ICE terminated its contract with Alamance County after a civil rights lawsuit filed against Johnson by the federal Department of Justice. Federal prosecutors alleged his office unlawfully targeted Latino residents during traffic stops and other investigations.
The case was ultimately dismissed and Johnson later reentered into an agreement with ICE in 2019. During the first Trump administration, Alamance initially leased 50 beds at a “guaranteed” daily rate of $135 – or about $2 million annually – an amount the county would be paid even if it wasn’t housing detainees. The agreement was later modified to 40 beds.
During the first year under the new agreement, the jail held 35 immigrant detainees on average each day, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, or TRAC, which is housed at Syracuse University and collects data from government agencies.
During the pandemic, that figure dropped to fewer than 10, where it remained for the next year. By the fall of 2023, the average number of detainees the jail was holding crept back up to about 20 where it remained through most of 2025.
Then, on Nov. 19, the sheriff’s office shared on Facebook that it ended its agreement to house and transport people detained by ICE in the jail effective Nov. 16, 2025.
Even though the formal housing contract ended, ACSO and ICE are still working together to an extent. Under state law, law enforcement and jail operators now have to cooperate with ICE for people charged with serious crimes whose citizenship can’t be confirmed.
Even if it’s no longer the main location for long-term federal detainees in the region, the county jail can hold certain people for 48 hours after their scheduled release to allow ICE to pick them up.
Read the full story...
|
|
|
|
Invest in North Carolina's local news.
The Alamance Fabric and NC Local are powered by readers like you. |
| Donate |
|
|
|
What's shaping Alamance |
|
|
|
A round up of key local headlines (from our partners and other news organizations) that are defining life in Alamance right now. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Here is the latest statewide reporting from the NC Local team on the big-picture issues that impact us all. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
What is a Fourth Amendment workplace? |
|
Several NC businesses and some municipalities are now Fourth Amendment workplaces. The designation means they’re trained to protect employees from unlawful federal overreach during immigration enforcement operations. Read more... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In this segment, we spotlight one of the neighbors shaping our community's future —brought to you in partnership with The Power + Place Collaborative from Elon University's Center for Design Thinking. Below is an excerpt from the profile. Click the video for more. |
 |
|
Jane Sellars (1968-2019) |
|
“We are one with each other." |
|
"Jane Sellars was born in Alamance County on February 26th, 1968. Her proudest contribution to the county was founding the African American Cultural Arts and History Center (AACAHC), a non-profit organization that collects and preserves the rich history of African Americans in Alamance and the surrounding counties.
Although Ms. Sellars is best known for her work uplifting voices and sharing stories, she got her start as the founder of Teens Destined to Succeed Outreach Inc. in 2006, a non-profit promoting youth empowerment.
Ms. Sellars continued to serve her community as a member of the Mebane Historical Museum Board of Directors and the Historic Preservation Commission for the City of Burlington."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Here are a few ideas from the Roundabout Burlington events calendar, plus some other events around the area. |
-
Baby & Toddler Storytime
Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026 at 10:30 a.m.
May Memorial Library
342 S Spring Street, Burlington, NC 27215
Free
-
Elon Town Council Meeting
Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.
Elon Town Hall
104 S Williamson Avenue, Elon, NC 27244
-
Graham City Council Meeting
Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.
Graham City Hall
201 South Main Street, Graham, NC
-
SOAR Stroll
Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026 at 1:30 p.m.
Haw River Trail at Red Slide Park
389 Lang Street, Haw River, NC 27258
Free; SOAR membership required
-
Cupid Shuffle (Late Night Shopping event)
Friday, Feb. 13, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
Downtown Mebane
105 W Clay St, Mebane, NC 27302, USA
-
Eagles vs. Aggies Jazz Classic
Friday, Feb. 13, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Williams High School Auditorium
1307 S Church St, Burlington, NC 27215
Tickets are $18.49
-
Galentine’s in Graham
Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026 starting at 10:00 a.m.
Downtown Graham
142 N Main St, Graham, NC 27253
-
Teen 2 Teen Video and Theatre
Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.
Thataways Youth Center
1331 Overbrook Road, Burlington, NC 27215
Free; registration required
|
|
|
|
A small favor?
Your gift ensures that The Alamance Fabric and NC Local can make complex policies understandable for Alamance residents. Every contribution helps readers stay informed, engaged and connected.
Will you make our community better by powering journalism with your donation? |
| Donate today! |
|
|
|
|
