Border Patrol tactics in Charlotte prompt concerns over intimidation
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An activist records a U.S. Border Patrol agent outside Home Depot on Nov. 19, 2025 in Charlotte. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images
Border Patrol agents' enforcement in Charlotte, called "Operation Charlotte's Web," is drawing community criticism about intimidation tactics and concerns that U.S. citizens are being detained.
Why it matters: The crackdown highlights the tension between immigration enforcement and protecting citizens' rights to monitor law enforcement.
Driving the news: On Tuesday, Nov. 18, local volunteer Joshua Long was arrested and charged with simple assault on a federal officer, The Charlotte Observer reported. Agents accused him of "skimming" a Border Patrol vehicle — an allegation he and witnesses deny. Long told the Observer he was detained for six hours at an FBI office without access to his attorney.
- A viral video recorded in Plaza Midwood shows agents smashing the window of an SUV after a driver refused to open it. The neighbor who filmed the incident told WBTV the two women inside were honking along Central Avenue to warn others about Border Patrol's presence before agents followed them home and arrested them.
- In another case, Abigail Pepper, a volunteer monitoring immigration operations in east Charlotte, told Axios a Border Patrol agent she was following led her to her south Charlotte neighborhood, stopped in front of her home, and said, "It's time to go home now."
What they're saying: Border Patrol agents in these instances allege that volunteers are interfering with their ongoing investigations in Charlotte. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says agents are focused on people with criminal records.
- But officials haven't provided details on how they're identifying them, and there are widespread reports of racial profiling — and of U.S. citizens being detained.
Between the lines: Border Patrol has not yet responded to Axios' request for comment about its tactics. In a statement, the agency told WBTV that it is concerned about a "dangerous trend" of violence against its agents.
- "Over the past two months, we've seen an increase in assaults and a deliberate targeting of federal law enforcement during operations," the statement read.
Go deeper: What city officials in North Carolina can and can't do about ICE and Border Patrol
Reality check: The First Amendment grants the public the right to record officers, so long as it doesn't interfere.
- Pepper, who volunteers as an "ICE verifier," says their goal is to observe, not interfere. When they witness an arrest, they're told to remind those detained of their rights, and record what they see — documenting license plates, photos and videos — so families can locate loved ones later.
Catch up quick: Border Patrol agents have made more than 250 arrests in Charlotte since Operation Charlotte's Web began Saturday, Nov. 15, according to DHS.
- DHS says those arrested include alleged gang members and people charged with crimes ranging from driving while intoxicated to aggravated assault.
- Federal officials have highlighted a few of those arrests but haven't said how many of the 250 had criminal records. It's also unclear where those taken into custody were transported or which charges they currently face.
Go deeper: Border Patrol reports over 250 Charlotte arrests
Zoom in: Volunteers in Charlotte quickly mobilized over the weekend, drawing on examples from other nonprofits and grassroots organizations in cities like Chicago.
- They've been tracking Border Patrol movements, sharing real-time alerts on social media and messaging apps.
- Other volunteers are working as human shields — walking students to and from school, or chaperoning others to work.
Go deeper: Charlotte businesses and community groups mobilize amid Border Patrol operation