Federal officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have begun large-scale immigration enforcement operations on the streets of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Arrests are underway as part of a broader federal immigration crackdown targeting major Democrat-run cities. The effort has triggered protests and strong pushback from residents and local officials who say the tactics are spreading fear throughout immigrant communities.
Willy Aceituno, 46, told The Associated Press he saw “a lot of Latinos running” being chased by “a lot of Border Patrol agents.” Video recorded by the Honduran-born U.S. citizen shows agents stopping him, smashing his car window and forcing him out of the vehicle.
Why It Matters
Charlotte, home to a significant foreign-born population, is the latest Democrat-led city targeted by President Donald Trump’s federal enforcement initiatives. The administration has defended similar operations in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles—where the National Guard has been deployed—as necessary to curb crime and enforce immigration law. Those efforts, however, have faced widespread demonstrations and criticism from local leaders who argue they undermine community trust and public safety.
What To Know
Reports of the Charlotte operation began surfacing early in the week, and on Saturday the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed it would be “surging resources” for enforcement in the city. The effort, dubbed “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” is aimed at what DHS describes as “criminal illegal aliens who flocked to the Tar Heel State because they knew sanctuary politicians would protect them.” The department said Charlotte had failed to honor nearly 1,400 ICE detainers—requests that local authorities hold individuals after their criminal release so federal immigration officials can take custody.
“Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens hurting them, their families, or their neighbors,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. “We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed. There have been too many victims of criminal illegal aliens. President Trump and Secretary [Kristi] Noem will step up to protect Americans when sanctuary politicians won’t.”
Local officials, including Democrat Mayor Vi Lyles, have sharply criticized the operation. In a joint statement with the chairs of the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners and the Board of Education, Lyles said the actions of ICE and CBP were “causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty.”
The statement urged residents to contact local police if they feel unsafe and stressed that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is “not involved in the planning or execution of any federal immigration enforcement activities.”
Hundreds of people gathered on Saturday to protest the operation, with footage showing a large crowd at First Ward Park in Uptown Charlotte chanting, “No hate. No fear. Immigrants are welcome here.”
Some businesses have closed temporarily in response to Operation Charlotte’s Web, according to CNN, and there have been reports of U.S. citizens being detained during the sweep. The Charlotte Observer, citing witnesses who requested anonymity, reported that masked agents entered a church on Saturday, detaining one person while others fled into nearby woods.
What People Are Saying
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, in a statement released Saturday, said: “We know many of you want to speak out and make your voices heard—and that’s your right. We ask that, as a community, we do so peacefully. We do not want to see violence like many witnessed in other cities. We can stand up for what we believe in without resorting to violence.”
Charlotte resident Willy Aceituno, who was detained by border patrol agents and later released after proving his citizenship, told The Associated Press: “I told them, ‘I’m an American citizen.’ They wanted to know where I was born, or they didn’t believe I was an American citizen.”
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein, in a statement released Friday, said: “Public safety is the top priority for all of us in government—and that means fighting crime, not stoking fear or causing division. We should all focus on arresting violent criminals and drug traffickers. Unfortunately, that’s not always what we have seen with ICE and Border Patrol Agents in Chicago and elsewhere around the country. The vast majority of people they have detained have no criminal convictions, and some are American citizens.”
What Happens Next
DHS has not said how long Operation Charlotte’s Web will continue. Similar enforcement actions in Los Angeles lasted for several days, while the deployment of federal forces in and around Chicago that began in September is still ongoing.
