More Than 250 People Have Been Detained During a Federal Operation in Charlotte

Federal authorities said that more than 250 people have been detained in Charlotte, North Carolina, as part of the Trump administration’s expanding campaign against undocumented migrants. Charlotte is the latest city to receive a federal deployment; similar operations have already taken place in Chicago and Los Angeles. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) maintains that the detainees include criminals and gang members.

Local officials and residents, however, have sharply criticized the operation, which the federal government has named “Operation Charlotte’s Web.” The state’s Democratic governor said people are being detained because of their race.

In a statement released on Wednesday, a DHS spokesperson said the operation had led to the arrest of “some of the most dangerous criminal illegal migrants,” including gang affiliates. The department previously noted that the remaining detainees had already been convicted of various offenses—from assaulting police officers and driving under the influence to theft and forging government documents.

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein, a vocal critic of Trump’s operations, accused federal agents of racial profiling. “We have seen masked, heavily armed officers in paramilitary gear driving unmarked vehicles, targeting people based on their skin color, engaging in racial profiling and grabbing random passersby in parking lots,” Stein said on Sunday.“This does not make us safer.”

The mayor of Charlotte, also a Democrat, urged federal agents to act in a way that respects the city’s values and thanked the residents who turned out in large numbers to protest on Saturday. “I am deeply concerned by what I’ve seen in many of the recordings,” Vi Lyles said.“To everyone in Charlotte feeling anxious or afraid: you are not alone. The city is with you.”

DHS has not said how long the raids will continue. In Chicago, the operation that began in September is still under way. As in other cities where similar campaigns are unfolding, some migrants in Charlotte are trying not to leave their homes out of fear of encountering federal agents, local media report.

Stein said he is monitoring reports that the operation may expand to Raleigh, another North Carolina city. “I once again urge federal agents to focus on violent offenders, not on neighbors walking down the street, attending church or putting up Christmas decorations,” he wrote.