Federal immigration authorities are continuing detentions in Charlotte after at least 130 people were arrested over the weekend, according to official figures. Amid growing protests, North Carolina officials say the sweeping operation is deepening fear and causing major disruptions to daily life.
On Monday, November 17, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein warned that the operation “only fuels fear” and disrupts the city’s normal functioning.
On Saturday, the Trump administration deployed Border Patrol units to Charlotte to reinforce Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. The White House argues that the renewed focus on a metropolis of roughly 950,000 people is driven by efforts to combat crime, though local officials sharply dispute this, pointing to declining crime rates.
The situation has been exacerbated by numerous reports of arrests near churches, apartment complexes and stores: agents pursued and detained individuals as part of the anti-immigration push, with some US citizens among those taken into custody.
“We’ve seen masked, heavily armed personnel in paramilitary gear driving unmarked vehicles, targeting people based on skin color, engaging in racial profiling and grabbing random bystanders from parking lots and sidewalks,” Stein said in a video posted late Sunday. “This does not make us safer. It tears our community apart and spreads fear.”
Tristia McLoughlin, deputy assistant secretary at DHS, said in a statement that Border Patrol officers had detained “more than 130 illegal aliens who violated” immigration laws. The department claims their records include gang affiliations, aggravated assaults, shoplifting and other crimes, but does not specify how many resulted in convictions, how many involve pending charges or provide any further details.
Stein acknowledged that the situation is creating tension but urged residents to remain calm. If people witness something they believe to be improper, he said, they should document it and report it to local law enforcement.
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The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees CBP, says it is focusing on North Carolina because of so-called sanctuary policies that limit cooperation between local authorities and immigration agencies. Some county jails in the state honor detainers—federal requests to hold arrested immigrants until they can be taken into custody. But Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte, does not. The city’s police force also does not participate in immigration operations. DHS claims that roughly 1,400 detainers have been ignored statewide and insists this poses a public-safety threat, even though US courts have repeatedly upheld the legality of such restrictive policies.
On Saturday, several normally busy commercial districts were nearly deserted: residents chose to stay home, fearing encounters with ICE or Border Patrol agents searching for undocumented migrants.
Manolo Betancur, owner of Manolo’s Bakery — a Latino-run shop founded in 1997 — temporarily closed his business, saying immigration agents had deliberately targeted his customers.
Not everyone, however, viewed the operation negatively. Kyle Kirby, chair of the Mecklenburg County Republican Party, said on Saturday that local Republicans “stand for the rule of law — and for the safety of every Charlotte resident.”