Immigration agents arrive in the Triangle
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U.S. Border Patrol agents walk through a gas station while searching for undocumented immigrants Nov. 17 in Charlotte. (Photo by Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)
Residents in Raleigh and Durham are spotting immigration agents Tuesday after the Trump administration deployed Border Patrol in North Carolina.
Why it matters: U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have carried out multiple days of arrests in Charlotte, and leaders in the Triangle warned Monday that locals should brace for a federal presence.
Zoom in: Credible sightings have been reported at an apartment complex in Raleigh and shopping centers in Durham and Cary.
- The reports are being catalogued by Siembra NC, a pro-immigrant group that operates a hotline at 336-543-0353, then collects and verifies the reports.
- 10:30am, Cary: Witnesses documented federal agents taking someone into custody at a Home Depot, The News & Observer reported.
- 11:10am, Raleigh: Siembra NC posted photographs of agents running across the lawn of an apartment complex called The Pointe at Midtown.
- 12:15pm, Durham: County Chair Nida Allam documented CBP detaining men behind the Beauty World shopping center in Old North Durham. She asked about a warrant, and the federal agents replied they didn't need one, and that the men being arrested were in the country illegally.
- 12:30pm, Durham: Siembra NC posted that they have "confirmed several arrests" in Durham, including near the intersection of Liberty and Alston streets.
- 1:30 pm, Cary: Siembra NC verified sightings at a construction site on Reedy Creek Road and a street corner in downtown Cary.
What they're saying: Gov. Josh Stein, when asked why North Carolina cities are being targeted, told reporters his administration was being kept in the dark.
- "They haven't sat down and explained to us why they're here, how long they're going to be here, what their purpose of being here is," Stein said. "We don't know pretty much anything. They're operating in the shadows."
Stein criticized federal tactics, saying they are causing widespread panic rather than helping people feel safe.
- "They're driving around Charlotte in unmarked cars wearing paramilitary garb masks, stopping people on the street randomly based on the color of their skin," he said. "They're just sweeping sidewalks. They're sweeping parking lots. They're going into stores and churches."
The other side: Gregory Bovino, who is leading the Border Patrol operation, responded on X by accusing Stein of inciting violence.
- "Governor Stein, you caused this," Bovino wrote Tuesday. "You need to check yourself."
- Earlier this week, Bovino posted footage set to "Raise Up" by Petey Pablo of federal agents driving into North Carolina, chasing down men and detaining them.
- A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a press release Monday that the people they're arresting "are here illegally and should never have been here in the first place."
The big picture: The Trump administration has been targeting immigration enforcement in Democratic-run cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and Charlotte.
Border Patrol's plans in North Carolina aren't being shared in advance with the public or coordinated with local police. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, declined to discuss specifics Monday.
Editor's note: This is a developing story and will be updated.