Border Patrol operation rocks Charlotte with dozens arrested
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Protesters gather at First Ward Park for the 'No Border Patrol In Charlotte' rally to raise their voices for the immigrant community in Charlotte, North Carolina, on November 15. Photo: Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images
Federal Border Patrol agents arrested 81 people on day one of their Charlotte, North Carolina, crackdown that's prompted protests and left businesses shuttered.
The big picture: Charlotte, in what federal officials are calling "Operation Charlotte's Web," is the latest city to be rocked by federal forces and a surge in immigrant arrests as advocates decry the administration's aggressive tactics.
Driving the news: The enhanced operation has caused "unnecessary fear and uncertainty," local officials said in a statement, pointing to operations in other cities that resulted in people without criminal records being detained and clashes between protesters and agents.
- City leaders implored dissenters to speak out peacefully, saying, "We can stand up for what we believe in without resorting to violence."
- Masked agents have been spotted throughout the city and its suburbs, per local reports, and have detained people along roads, in parking lots, outside restaurants and beyond.
Catch up quick: The Department of Homeland Security said Saturday that it would be "surging" resources to target undocumented immigrants in North Carolina, and blaming "sanctuary politicians" for policies that allow "criminal illegal aliens" to remain in the state.
- Sanctuary cities and jurisdictions have been prime targets of the administration's immigration crackdown, which has put local officials in blue cities like Chicago and Los Angeles at odds with the federal government.
- Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden, who oversees the county that houses Charlotte, has sparred with ICE in the past, but last week he touted an improved relationship with federal partners.
Zoom in: Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino, who is leading agents in Charlotte and has overseen operations in other cities, said CBP had a "record day" in response to a video shared of a man being detained in a shopping center.
- "Massive numbers in Charlotte. Some good criminals also," he wrote Saturday. On Sunday, he said 81 people had been arrested in "about five hours" the day prior.
What they're saying: Immigrant advocacy group Siembra NC counted at least 36 different confirmed incidents, each involving up to six arrests, the group's spokesperson Emanuel Gomez-Gonzalez told Axios in an email.
- "What Bovino's declaration obscures is that the target of CBP's operation in Charlotte— as has been the case with previous operations— has been workers," Gomez-Gonzalez said.
- "Workers putting up Christmas decorations in a homeowner's front yard. Picking up construction materials from hardware stores. Doing yard work at an east Charlotte church."
Friction point: Videos of arrests and groups of agents patrolling public spaces have begun flooding social media.
- The New York Times reported that a Hispanic U.S. citizen had his car window smashed by agents, who were caught on film detaining and handcuffing him. He was later let go.
- DHS said in a post to X that he was "erratic," "refused lawful commands," and had been trying to distract agents as cover for other migrants in the area.
What's next: New Orleans is also bracing for the federal wave.
- Asheville, North Carolina, Mayor Esther Manheimer said in a statement her city may also be targeted.
- "We believe every person, regardless of immigration status, should feel safe in the community they call home," Manheimer said.
Go deeper: Judge orders ICE to release 300+ detained immigrants
