Mass Immigration Raids in Charlotte Spark Fear, Closures and Protests
Federal immigration authorities detained 81 people in neighborhoods across Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday in what may be the largest single-day immigration sweep in the state’s history.
The coordinated enforcement action, called “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” immediately drew sharp criticism from local officials, advocacy groups and immigrant communities, who warned of rising fear, economic disruption and lasting damage to the city’s sense of safety and trust.
Why It Matters
The arrests signal an escalation in a federal crackdown that has heightened tensions in Charlotte, a fast-growing city shaped by international migration and now the latest focus of President Donald Trump’s enforcement agenda.
The administration has previously targeted other Democrat-led cities, pointing to elevated crime and homicide rates as justification for deploying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and, at times, the National Guard to combat crime and enforce immigration laws.
By concentrating on immigrant neighborhoods, churches and businesses, the operation has intensified concerns about civil rights, due process and the reach of federal enforcement far from the border, particularly as state and local leaders have voiced opposition.
What To Know
Federal border patrol agents carried out a series of raids across Charlotte on Saturday, focusing on immigrant communities and resulting in 81 arrests—believed to be the largest such one-day operation on record in North Carolina.
The sweeps prompted widespread alarm among immigrants and their families. Many businesses, including large flea markets, nightclubs serving the Hispanic community and neighborhood grocery stores, closed or saw dramatically reduced activity.
Some Catholic churches reported unusually low attendance amid social media posts alleging that federal agents were watching parking lots, according to The New York Times.
Protests broke out across Charlotte following the arrests. Witnesses reported people being taken into custody at supermarkets and other public locations. Through the weekend, many businesses remained quiet as workers chose to stay home out of fear, the Charlotte Observer reported.
Gregory Bovino, who led the operation, described it as a success and used social media to highlight the arrests of individuals with criminal records. Federal officials, however, did not release a complete breakdown of the criminal histories of those detained.
A DHS news release cited seven individuals with prior criminal charges, while advocacy groups said those swept up also included day laborers, a man cleaning up at a church, and even a Hispanic U.S. citizen whose vehicle was damaged during an encounter with agents.
Raids continued into Sunday, prolonging anxiety in immigrant communities. Border Patrol agents revisited earlier targets, including businesses and residential areas, while activists and residents focused on meticulously documenting law enforcement activity.
What People Are Saying
Gregory Bovino, U.S. Customs and Border Protection commander-at-large, wrote on X, in part:
“We will not allow criminal illegal aliens to take over American communities. We will continue to track down illegal aliens in Los Angeles, Chicago, or any other city we choose. That is the way THIS team operates.”
Matt Mercer, spokesman for the North Carolina Republican Party, said in a statement to The New York Times:
“Federal law enforcement is fulfilling President Trump’s promise to remove violent criminal illegals from our streets. The only ‘shameful’ thing is the fearmongering from radical activists who want our communities less safe.”
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein told ABC News:
“We should all focus on arresting violent criminals and drug traffickers. Unfortunately, that’s not always what we’ve seen with ICE and Border Patrol Agents in Chicago and elsewhere in the country.”
What Happens Next
The Department of Homeland Security has not said how long “Operation Charlotte’s Web” will continue or disclosed where those detained are being held. Community organizers in Charlotte and in other North Carolina cities, including Asheville, have indicated they are preparing for the possibility that the operation could widen in scope or move into additional communities.
