Local Politics · Hillsborough, NC
Hillsborough Mayor Calls for Release of ICE-Detained Local Resident
Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell issued a public statement calling on federal immigration officials to release Isaac Gallegos, a 19-year-old Hillsborough resident and Orange High School graduate detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement since Wednesday, Oct. 7. Bell described Gallegos as a 10-year community member who has been navigating asylum proceedings without incident. The mayor called for Gallegos's return to Hillsborough while his asylum case is resolved. According to reporting by The Daily Tar Heel, Gallegos graduated from Orange High School in 2025 and was captain of the Panthers' varsity soccer team; his family said he was arrested in Charlotte during what they believed was a routine appointment related to their asylum case.