Border Patrol crackdown in Charlotte persists with "over 425 arrests"

Catch up quick: The Mecklenburg County sheriff said Nov. 20 that federal officials told him the immigration crackdown was over.

• Just hours later, DHS contradicted his statement, claiming the operation was "not ending anytime soon."

By the numbers: The Charlotte operation officially launched Nov. 15 with 81 arrests and a goal to target "the worst of the worst" criminals. By day two, at least 49 more arrests were made, bringing the total to "over 130," per a Nov. 17 statement from DHS.

• By the evening of Nov. 18, "over 250" arrests had been made.
• As of Nov. 20, a DHS spokesperson said agents had arrested "around 370 illegal aliens."
• But on Monday, United States Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks posted that "interior operations in Charlotte, NC, yielded 274 arrests." A DHS spokesperson did not offer an explanation when the Observer asked about the discrepancy.

DHS has so far declined to provide the names and criminal records of the majority of those apprehended in the Charlotte area. Only a select handful have been identified.

• Axios is awaiting a response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

Zoom out: Border Patrol formally launched a separate operation in New Orleans on Wednesday, aiming to arrest about 5,000 people.

• The agents' move to New Orleans follows weeks of speculation that Border Patrol would shift there following the surge in Charlotte and, before that, Chicago.
• Notably, all are Democratic-led cities, criticized by Republicans for "sanctuary policies."