Matt Mercer, North Carolina GOP Communications Director, has already sounded the alarm about a border crisis that hit North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District (NC-01) hard, and the questions he raised then still linger, with no answers from the state’s Democrats.
Mercer has long been focused on especially hearing what Democratic US Rep. Don Davis of NC1 has to say about the border:
In 2024, Mercer asked why Democrats would not take public safety seriously in North Carolina, writing, “This is the latest example that President Biden’s shameful open border policies have real-world consequences here in North Carolina. Democrats should speak up and support our law enforcement officers instead of playing party politics.”.
Nothing has changed as of Oct. 2025.
Mercer told Frontline America when asked about any updates, “Under the Biden administration, Eastern North Carolina became less safe. Our law enforcement officers should not be on the frontlines of international terrorists. Democrats today make no apology for their failures to secure the border or keep American families safe. These left-wing radicals want to continue importing more individuals who don’t share our values. Our elected leaders must back up President Trump and America First policies.”
Gates County Standoff: Small Town, Big Crisis
In March 2024, Awet Hagos, a 32-year-old Eritrean national illegally in the U.S. and on the federal terrorist watchlist, ignited a four-hour standoff in NC1- Eure, exposing the dangers of the Democrats’ open-border policies. Nearly two years later, Hagos lingers in an ICE facility in Georgia, his deportation stalled in bureaucratic limbo.
Gates County’s 13 full-time deputies faced a nightmare that night. Gunfire at the Quick Stop and led to Hagos, a part-time employee, firing a rifle outside. Hagos turned violent, tried to disarm a deputy, and barricaded himself in a camper.
According to the Roanoke-Chowan News Herald, who reported at the time of the incident, “deputies from the Gates County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the Quick Stop convenience store, located along US 13 South near Barfield Road, for reported gunshots. Campbell said the responding deputies were informed that a part-time employee of the store had been outside the store discharging a firearm.”
The News Herald continued, “Upon arrival, the deputies and a Trooper with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol attempted to take the suspect into to custody,” Campbell said. “However, the suspect became extremely combative and at one point attempted to disarm a deputy of their firearm. The suspect then fled into a small camper located adjacent to the business.”
Four agencies, including the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and Ahoskie Police, used an infrared drone to nab him hiding under a residence.
Charged with three counts each of assault on a government official and resisting a public officer, plus carrying a concealed weapon, Hagos was held on a $100,000 bond. His fingerprints exposed his unlawful status and watchlist designation.
From Eritrea to NC-01: A Border Failure’s Path
How did an Eritrean from a region near Yemen’s terrorist hotbeds slip from California to rural NC-01 undetected? Hagos lived in Gates County for six months, evading scrutiny despite his watchlist status. A House Homeland Security Committee letter in April 2024 pressed DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Hagos’ entry and movements, citing him as a stark example of border lapses. ICE began removal proceedings in October 2024, but as of September 2025, Hagos remains undeported.
FBI Director Christopher Wray has flagged smuggling networks tied to groups like ISIS, heightening the stakes. Mercer’s call for answers reflects the urgency of securing NC-01 from such threats.
Democrats Dodge Accountability
North Carolinians crave clarity, but state Democrats stay silent. Governor Roy Cooper’s press releases, Attorney General Josh Stein’s newsroom, and Rep. Jeff Jackson’s congressional updates lack any mention of Hagos or the watchlist scandal.
Their silence, amid 2024’s heated election cycle, fuels GOP charges of complicity. Mercer’s March 2024 NCGOP release cut deep: “This is the latest example that President Biden’s shameful open border policies have real-world consequences in North Carolina. Democrats should speak up and support our law enforcement officers instead of playing party politics.”
Matt Mercer: A Voice for NC-01’s Future
Mercer, a former North State Journal journalist turned NCGOP strategist since March 2024, has driven voter outreach, flipped registration advantages, and hammered Rep. Don Davis’ weak border record. Once speculated as an NC-01 candidate, his leadership shines in exposing Democratic failures. October 2025’s redrawn congressional map, which bolsters GOP prospects in NC-01, underscores the need for his voice.
NC-01 Demands Action Now
“The saga of how Awet Hagos ended up in Eastern North Carolina must be answered before he is deported in order to keep families safe in the 1st Congressional District,” Mercer told Frontline America.
Hagos’ delayed deportation is a betrayal of NC-01 families. With redistricting favoring conservative priorities, the time for bold leadership is now. Deport Hagos, secure the border, and champion America First policies.
Mercer’s charge to Frontline America resonates: answers must precede deportation, and safety must trump politics. Eastern North Carolina needs fighters like him to ensure watchlist threats stay far from home.
More from Frontline America on this story: