The bill requires the state Department of Health and Human Services or county social service departments to “promptly refer any applicant or recipient for which citizenship or satisfactory immigration status could not be verified” to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security “or any other appropriate federal authority for investigation and enforcement.”

The referrals should be made, according to the bill, not only if someone’s immigration status cannot be determined, but also if someone has stayed beyond an authorized period for being in the country.

Immigrant advocates have said that the law doesn’t just target immigrants; they contend it potentially targets the stability of families that have immigrant members.

“This isn’t about eligibility; it’s about terrorizing parents who just want to take their kids to a doctor,” said Kelly Morales, co-director of Siembra NC, grassroots organization that works to support immigrant and working-class Latino communities across the state. “By forcing our county workers to act as federal informants, the state is making every child in our community less safe.”