U.S. immigration agents arrested more than 130 people in Charlotte, North Carolina, over the weekend, officials said Monday, sparking concern and criticism from local leaders.
According to The Associated Press, the operation, part of a broader Trump administration crackdown, targeted Charlotte, a city of roughly 950,000, despite declining crime rates and objections from local officials. Residents reported encounters with agents near churches, apartment complexes, and businesses.
“We’ve seen masked, heavily armed agents in paramilitary garb driving unmarked cars, targeting American citizens based on their skin color, racially profiling and picking up random people in parking lots and off of our sidewalks,” Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, said in a video statement Sunday. “This is not making us safer. It’s stoking fear and dividing our community.”
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Border Patrol officers had arrested “over 130 illegal aliens who have all broken” immigration laws.
DHS noted that the arrested individuals’ records included gang membership, aggravated assault, shoplifting, and other offenses, but the agency did not provide details on convictions or pending charges.
Stein urged residents to remain peaceful and to document any concerning activity. “If people see something they feel is wrong, they should record it and report it to local law enforcement,” he said.
The Department of Homeland Security said the operation focused on North Carolina due to so-called sanctuary policies, which limit cooperation between local authorities and federal immigration agents.
Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte, does not honor ICE detainers, and the city police department does not participate in immigration enforcement. DHS claimed roughly 1,400 detainers statewide had not been honored.
The sweep disrupted local businesses, including Manolo’s Bakery, whose owner temporarily closed the shop to protect employees. “I saw them with my own eyes,” owner Manolo Betancur said, describing agents shoving people to the ground. “I’m scared. Nobody wants to see another human being treated that way.”
Some local officials supported the operation. Mecklenburg County Republican Party Chairman Kyle Kirby said, “The county GOP stands with the rule of law — and with every Charlottean’s safety first.”
Similar operations led by Gregory Bovino in Chicago and Los Angeles have previously sparked lawsuits and criticism over aggressive tactics. Democratic leaders in both cities accused agents of inflaming tensions, and one man was fatally shot by federal agents during a traffic stop in the Chicago area.
Federal officials have defended their approach as necessary to address growing threats to agents. The Charlotte operation is expected to heighten scrutiny of immigration enforcement tactics nationwide.
