Two North Carolina counties that cancelled cooperation agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) subsequently experienced an upsurge in violent crime, according to a new report. The report, by the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI), comes as left-wing lawmakers, led by Rep. Ritchie Torres, a New York Democrat, call for slashing funding for the so-called 287(g) program, which creates a framework for cooperation between local law enforcement officials and federal immigration authorities. Founded in 1986, IRLI is a public interest law firm that describes itself as being “dedicated to achieving responsible immigration policies that serve our national interest.” “Named after a section in the Immigration and Nationality Act, the 287(g) program [facilitates] greater collaboration between ICE and the law enforcement agencies that sign on to these formal written agreements,” according to IRLI. “Participating agencies will deputize some of their officers to perform the duties of immigration agents—such as inquiring about …