Follow the trail to the issues, conversations and information connecting the region.

Dear reader,

The winter weather won’t let up.

Last weekend, the high elevation parts of the region wrestled with icy conditions while others in WNC called the storm “underwhelming.” Across the state, about 40,000 people lost power, thousands of flights were cancelled and roads closed. 

Many in our area are feeling the same uncertainty we felt last week when Fern’s start date continued to shift. Storm prep is different for us since Hurricane Helene. Filling up extra water and stocking supplies reminds us of last year’s tragedy as well as the resilience of Western North Carolina. 

While our attention is on the possible upcoming snow, some families are still rebuilding from Helene or living in RVs after the storm. This week brings the final deadline to apply for housing assistance from the state through the Renew NC program.  

And disaster relief funding from the federal government is back in the headlines — this time because FEMA funding could be part of the partial government shutdown with a weekend deadline looming. 

The Department of Homeland Security is one of several federal departments that has not yet been funded by Congress. Since the murder of ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minnesota, some lawmakers have called for a halt to DHS funding. While the focus is on funding for ICE and Border Patrol, DHS also manages FEMA, so a delay in funding could delay the $32 billion for emergency management including $26 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund.  

Despite the current funding debate, the department approved $233 million for public assistance grant reimbursements for Hurricane Helene recovery projects in Western North Carolina, Sen. Ted Budd announced on Wednesday.

The projects receiving funding include Blue Ridge Electric Membership, Lake Lure, NC DOT in Henderson, Ashe, Avery, Watauga, Buncombe counties along with state emergency management support.  

What questions do you have about the storm or Hurricane Helene funding? Let us know. 

Check this out

Community members, including the local nurses union, protest against ICE in Asheville on January 28, 2026.  (Photo by Jacob Biba/NC Local)

ICU nurse, immigration protestor and lawful gun owner Alex Pretti’s death last weekend at the hands of federal agents prompted national conversation on immigration enforcement actions as well as 2nd amendment rights.

Here in North Carolina, NC Local’s Jacob Biba has continued to report on immigration operations from how local sheriffs’ offices are working with ICE to how constitutional rights are currently being considered in court. I talked with him about immigration enforcement in Western NC. 

This interview was edited for brevity and clarity. 

LK: So you've been doing some reporting about habeas corpus rights in North Carolina. How does that apply to your immigration reporting?

JB: The concept of habeas corpus was designed to keep people from being locked up without justification. The right is found in Article I of the U.S. Constitution, where it says it “shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.”

We've seen attorneys who are advocating for detainees file these petitions of unlawful detention in federal courts. In 2024, only 432 habeas petitions were filed by ICE detainees, according to federal court data. After Trump took office, the number of petitions filed skyrocketed to more than 9,000 in 2025.

LK: So, what's the next step for that process? 

JB: I interviewed an immigration attorney a few weeks ago and he's been having good success, but it is time consuming and it costs money. And there's so many people who believe they're being unlawfully detained that not everybody's getting the help that they need.

LK: So Jacob, you have also been looking at  ICE’s arrest data from late May to mid-October in 2025. What does the data show? 

JB: The reporting the last year focused on Charlotte and the arrests that have been occurring there and also in larger urban areas of North Carolina. But when you look at the data, it really shows that arrests have been occurring everywhere across North Carolina from Ashe County to Cherokee County, to a lot of these smaller municipalities, and there's not much reporting on it. So I thought it was valuable for people who live here to see this map to be able to visualize where these arrests are occurring. 

LK: In my reporting with ICE and Border Patrol, they told me there are immigration actions here all the time. Is that what you saw in this data?

JB: Absolutely. There are arrests being made all the time somewhere in North Carolina. It'll be interesting when the new tranche of data comes out to see if it ramped up in the fourth quarter of 2025. I think it's safe to say that these arrests are happening a lot, and they're happening a lot at local jails.

LK: Yes, this data shows that these arrests are predominantly happening through partnerships with local jails and local sheriffs. Can you talk about how that works in North Carolina?

JB: Twenty-five law enforcement agencies in North Carolina have partnership agreements with ICE, NC Local has previously reported. There are three types of agreements, according to ICE. The majority of agreements in the region are the Warrant Service Officer type.

The federal government maintains an up-to-date list of 287(g) agreements. There are four counties with these agreements in WNC. 

287 G agreements allow local enforcement to perform certain immigration enforcement actions. So, arrests can be made through jails and then ICE will come and pick them up. The information is being filed into databases, and ICE can see where people are. And I think for them, arresting people up at jails and prisons and the federal prison in Butner is low-hanging fruit. 

LK: So looking at these agreements and arrests, Henderson County has the most arrests. Based on the data you estimated 164 arrests in the county from the data compared to a dozen or less per county in the rest of the region.  Do you know why there are significantly more arrests there? 

JB: We don't know. My theories are that Henderson County has a large migrant population. And from my understanding Henderson County also has a good working relationship with ICE. But Henderson County certainly has the most arrests in Western North Carolina, and the 287 G agreement is a big part of that.

LK: How do other counties work with ICE that don't have these 287 G agreements? You know, I saw 16 arrests in Jackson, Macon and 12 in Buncombe. 

JB:  I know in Buncombe County there were 12 arrests during this period. Sheriff Miller has been very vocal about not formally partnering with ICE, but from my understanding is that ICE can see who Buncombe County Detention Center is holding, and given state laws, Buncombe County has to inform ICE before the release. So, I think on that level, they're doing what they're required to under the law.

It very well could be that other sheriff's offices are doing more to work with ICE, you know, outside of the agreements. The data doesn’t tell us those details.

Editor’s note: DHS has yet to provide additional info in response to NC Local’s public records requests for details about who was detained and where they were held in the immigration action in fall 2025.  

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Winter weather 

Despite current thawing temperatures, some parts of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and National Forests are still closed. Officials recommend caution as workers are still clearing downed trees and ice. Please proceed carefully as more winter weather is expected this weekend. (Great Smoky Mountains National Park) 

NC Weather Authority: During Helene, many people relied on Ethan Clark, a recent NC State graduate, for his clear guidance and accurate weather predictions. We will be keeping a close eye on his calls for this upcoming storm.

My open tabs

• College Democrats sue over Guilford and Jackson county early voting sites (Carolina Journal and Inside Higher Ed) 

• The Fontana Regional Library System’s battle over books, personnel and funding hit a new tenor this week as local media reported receiving a threat. (Sylva Herald). Jackson County Commissioners approved an additional $350,000 funding ahead of the official schism from the system in July (Smoky Mountain News). Read up on the latest board issues this week. (Smoky Mountain News)

• A historic Blowing Rock restaurant burned down. The cause is under investigation (Watauga Democrat)

• Protestors in WNC gathered on the anniversary of President Trump's inauguration to protest ICE operations (WLOS) and again last night at a vigil for Alex Pretti organized by nurses. (Mountain Xpress)

• ICE has detained some Native Americans. N.C. republican says ‘There Will be Mistakes.’ (The Assembly) 

• The Lumbee Tribe buys land off I-95 for possible casino (WUNC) 

• District 11 Democratic candidates weigh in on ICE, immigration during debate (WLOS) 

My Favorite Trail: Ben Steere

Dr. Ben Steere is the Department Head of Anthropology and Sociology at Western Carolina University.   

Welcome to a regular feature of The Trailhead: My Favorite Trail. Each installment will feature a WNC trail. This week, Ben Steere shared his favorite spot. Want to share your favorite trail for a future newsletter? Email me! 

The Cradle of Forestry is the birthplace of the study of forestry in America. (Courtesy of The Cradle of Forestry) 

The Trail: The Cradle of Forestry Forest Festival Trail 

The 1.3 mile paved trail follows Dr. Carl Schenck’s Biltmore Forest Fair of 1908 with a seedling nursery, portable sawmill, historic farm site and an original “Climax" locomotive that would have transported logs through these mountains at the turn of the century. The Cradle of Forestry is a 6,500 acre site in the Pisgah National Forest that celebrates the birthplace of forestry in America. 

Why it is my favorite 

Steere says the trail was one of the first hikes that he did with his sons when he moved to Western NC in 2015. 

His youngest son absolutely loves trains, so Steere says that this trail allows him to explore and learn about the 1915 Climax logging locomotive on display in the trail. 

"I also appreciate that the trail is accessible for folks with small kids and limited mobility, but still makes for a nice walk in the woods and a chance to learn about history in these beautiful mountains," Steere told me in an email. 

They have hiked the trail in all kinds of weather, and "once sat out a summer thunderstorm under the shelter by the locomotive."