In July 2026, ICE partnered with federal park rangers and local sheriff’s deputies in western North Carolina to raid a swimming hole in Pisgah National Forest.
It’s believed to be the first time immigration police conducted a raid in one of NC’s national forests. So what does this mean?
In a new Billy Ball Explains NC, we break down President Trump’s widening immigration net, ICE’s surge in new arrests, and whether there is such a thing as a “safe space” anymore when it comes to immigration policing.
Billy Ball Explains NC is a weekly conversation about North Carolina politics, culture, and news, led by Cardinal & Pine Senior Newsletter Editor Billy Ball. Make sure to like and subscribe to @cardinalandpine on YouTube so you never miss an episode.
Written by Billy Ball
Edited by Kim Lawson
Video by Billy Ball
Graphics by Luis Castaneda
