Charlotte faces DHS crackdown as agents target ‘criminal illegal aliens’
Federal agents have descended on the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, as part of US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced.
In an article on X, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino said at least 81 people were arrested in the city on Saturday.
Local officials, including Charlotte Mayor Li Vyles, issued a joint statement criticizing the operation, saying it caused “unnecessary fear and uncertainty” in the community.
Since Trump’s return to office, he has deployed troops to Washington DC, Los Angeles and Chicago to fulfill his promise of the “largest deportation program” in US history.
DHS announced “Operation Charlotte’s Web” Saturday, saying “criminal illegal aliens” would be targeted in the Democratic-run city.
“We are strengthening DHS law enforcement in Charlotte to keep Americans safe and eliminate threats to public safety,” said DHS Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
Armored vehicles and special operations teams may be involved in the north Charlotte crackdown, according to internal government documents seen by the BBC’s US partner CBS News.
Several church members doing yard work at an east Charlotte church fled into the woods when officers arrived and arrested a man, the Charlotte Observer reported, citing the church’s pastor.
“We thought the church was safe and nothing [was] is going to happen,” a 15-year-old witness told the newspaper.
Officials said there are “a number of organizations prepared to assist individuals seeking legal advice on immigration matters.”
DHS said it was conducting the operation because North Carolina had failed to honor the nearly 1,400 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees, meaning they were released due to “sanctuary policies.”
Charlotte is not a sanctuary city — cities that have policies in place to limit assistance to federal immigration authorities — but it is a “certified welcome city.” This is an official designation for cities that are committed to immigration inclusion.
“President Trump and Secretary [Kristi] Noem will step up to protect Americans when sanctuary politicians will not,” DHS said.
Charlotte is an ethnically diverse city, with about 17 percent of residents born outside the country, according to Data US.
DHS did not say how long the raids would last. The crackdown in Chicago, which began in September, continues.
Earlier in the week, U.S. Rep. Alma Adams said she had been briefed on the operation and was “extremely concerned” about the arrival of Border Patrol and ICE agents in North Carolina.
The next city on Trump’s list is expected to be New Orleans, according to CBS, and up to 200 officers could be deployed there.
Operations in previous cities like Chicago and Los Angeles have been criticized due to fears of excessive use of force.
