U.S. border agents arrested more than 130 people in Charlotte over the weekend in an operation called “Charlotte’s Web,” part of a broader federal enforcement push that has sparked protests and revived tensions over local cooperation with immigration authorities.
Federal immigration authorities deployed U.S. Border Patrol teams to Charlotte over the weekend for an operation known as “Charlotte’s Web,” resulting in more than 130 arrests within the first 48 hours, according to federal officials and local news outlets. A Border Patrol commander said 81 arrests occurred in the first five hours on Saturday. Officials said some of those detained had prior criminal records, but did not specify how many. Reuters and local station WBTV reported the totals and operation details. (reuters.com)
The Charlotte action follows an earlier large-scale enforcement campaign in Chicago and comes amid planning for additional deployments in the Gulf South. AP and Reuters have reported federal preparations to send hundreds of agents to Louisiana and Mississippi in early December, with staging in the New Orleans area. DHS has said it does not preview operations. (reuters.com)
DHS has justified the Charlotte surge by pointing to long-running disputes over immigration “detainers,” requests that local jails hold individuals for federal pickup. Federal officials have alleged that about 1,400 detainers across North Carolina went unhonored since 2020, a figure cited by multiple outlets; that number refers to statewide detainers, not solely Charlotte’s jails. (washingtonpost.com)
In Mecklenburg County, Sheriff Garry McFadden ended the jail’s 287(g) partnership with ICE in 2018 and has said he requires judicial warrants to transfer inmates to federal custody—positions that have fueled clashes with ICE. McFadden’s 2018 decision is well documented, and he has maintained that his approach follows the law; ICE argues the policy undermines public safety. Earlier this year, ICE said that during a March enforcement operation in Charlotte it arrested 24 people and noted six had detainers the sheriff’s office hadn’t honored; the agency added that 18 additional targets with unhonored detainers remained at large. (wbtv.com)
The weekend raids drew immediate pushback. North Carolina Governor Josh Stein, a Democrat, condemned the tactics in a video statement, saying agents were “masked, heavily armed” and engaged in racial profiling; he urged residents to remain peaceful and document misconduct. Multiple public radio and national outlets aired or published the governor’s remarks. (pbs.org)
Community disruptions followed. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools reported approximately 20,935 student absences on Monday—about 15% of enrollment—while noting that daily figures are unofficial until state approval; some outlets later reported higher counts as data were updated. A popular local business, Manolo’s Bakery, temporarily closed, with owner Manolo Betancur telling CNN he would not “risk [his] customers” or staff amid the heightened enforcement. (wsoctv.com)
DHS officials say interior enforcement will continue but declined to discuss future actions. “Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country. We do not discuss future or potential operations,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in statements quoted by multiple outlets. (wrdw.com)
Officials in Raleigh, about 170 miles northeast of Charlotte, said they have been told federal agents are coming there next. Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell said the city’s police department is not involved in immigration enforcement and has not participated in planning activities. Reuters and AP reported the expected expansion to Raleigh. (reuters.com)
