🧵 In Today’s Edition

1. Greensboro residents train to observe, keep tabs on federal immigration agents
2. A Q&A with recently appointed N.C. Rep. Amanda Cook (D-Guilford)

Eyes and Ears on the Ground

In the last few weeks, immigrants—documented and undocumented—have been fearful of leaving their homes to go to school, work, or run errands due to the wave of enforcement which began in Charlotte on Nov. 15. That weekend, officers also made arrests in Durham and Raleigh. In total, Customs and Border Patrol agents detained more than 370 people across the state, the department said.

“They didn’t sweep into Greensboro, but the fear sure did,” said Kirstin Cassell, a volunteer with Siembra NC, an immigrant-advocacy organization.

While no one was detained in Greensboro, hundreds of community members have rallied in the last week to become ICE “verifiers.” Those who undergo training will be able to respond to calls and determine if immigration activity is occurring in an area. 

The trainings will hopefully make it easier to sort fact from fiction, Siembra volunteers said. 

“The important thing is peace of mind,” said volunteer Allyson Crickenberger. “It’s for other people to make decisions about going to work, school, grocery shopping.”

Read the full story here.

— Sayaka Matsuoka

Thanks for reading The Thread, a 3x week newsletter written by Greensboro editor Joe Killian and reporters Sayaka Matsuoka and Gale Melcher. Reach us with tips or ideas at greensboro@theassemblync.com.

After former N.C. Rep. Cecil Brockman (D-Guilford) announced his resignation on Halloween night, Guilford County Democrats tapped Amanda Cook to replace him. Cook is a High Point city council member and former educator who was already mounting a primary challenge to Brockman.

Gov. Josh Stein formally signed off on Cook’s appointment last week. While she’s received a legislative email and is on the General Assembly website, she won’t officially become a state House member until a quorum is present to seat her (which isn’t expected until early 2026).

Cook’s new position stands to give Stein and fellow Democrats extra breathing room in the legislature. 

House Republicans are one seat shy of a supermajority (the Senate already has a GOP supermajority), giving Stein little wiggle room to have his vetoes sustained. 

Even with Cook, Democrats can’t afford to have a single member of their caucus cross party lines or two members absent when a veto override vote is called. Republicans (with help from some Democrats) have already overridden eight of Stein’s 15 vetoes this year, leaving seven measures still on the table.

Brockman often crossed party lines or missed key votes, frustrating his party over the years on hot-button issues that included gun access, funding for public schools, and oversight of nonprofit organizations. 

So what can we expect from Cook? I spoke with her last week to find out. The following Q&A has been lightly edited for brevity: 

What was your reaction the first time you heard about Rep. Brockman’s arrest?

I don’t really have any comments about Rep. Brockman. I did not know him personally. I met him less than a handful of times. His family is still in my community, so I’m choosing not to comment on that.

What void are you hoping to fill when you get to Raleigh?

I think it’s pretty well documented that we were lacking representation. As an elected official here myself, I did not see him in the district. 

I don’t know where he was or who he was talking with that was here in High Point, but it certainly wasn’t on a regular basis out in the community. That was a big reason why I wanted to run. I wanted there to be somebody that was available to the constituents here in High Point and able to be reached and seen.

While a lot of people celebrate the money that he was able to bring into the district for organizations, that came at a cost to the overall values of Democrats and a lot of people in High Point. I didn’t agree with that, and that was why I was primarying him.

Are there any bills that Stein has vetoed that are still on the table that you would support overriding him on?

No.

Is there any moment where you would override Stein in the future?

I’m not going to say that I will never do anything. I cannot see a future in which that would happen. I can’t imagine it. … I can’t play what ifs. I just know that based on what I know of the governor and what I know of my colleagues in the Democratic caucus, I don’t foresee me being at odds with either of those groups.

What’s your message to other Democrats who have crossed party lines on key priorities?

I don’t know any of those representatives personally. I think that they have, like Brockman, felt pretty confident in why they’re doing what they’re doing. Maybe they need to just be prepared for the primaries that are coming their way.

What’s the signature thing you would like to get done in Raleigh?

Oh, man, that’s like trying to ask which child you love the most. 

I would say comprehensive education reform. In that, I would include bringing back masters pay, paying all of our classified employees a livable wage, which I believe is at least $25 an hour, and fully funding and repairing all of the buildings and classrooms in the state. 

I would like to get Pearson Education out of our budget and bring back some autonomy and some culturally responsive teaching at the local level.

What should folks do when visiting Guilford County?

I definitely would like to invite everyone to come to High Point and search for our troll, Little Sally. She’s our newest addition, a piece of public art that has already brought people from around the country and around the world. 

She has a great story, and I was really excited to be part of the team working on securing that piece and getting to know a little bit of the behind the scenes along the way. 

We’re part of a larger network of trolls worldwide now. It’s really been a pleasure to serve the city of High Point for the last two years, and hopefully everyone feels confident and excited about me serving them in this new capacity.

— Bryan Anderson

Joe Killian is The Assembly's Greensboro editor. He joined us from NC Newsline, where he was senior investigative reporter. He spent a decade at The News & Record covering cops and courts, higher education, and government.

Sayaka Matsuoka is a Greensboro-based reporter for The Assembly. She was formerly the managing editor for Triad City Beat, an alt-weekly based in Greensboro. She has reported for INDY Week, The Bitter Southerner, and Nerdist, and is the editorial/diversity chair for AAN Publishers.