CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Federal agents have started making arrests Saturday as Border Patrol deployments began in the city, a shift the Department of Homeland Security said was intended to “ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed.”
Earlier in the day, local officials sought to reassure residents as the looming operations created anxiety across the region, emphasizing that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department does not participate in federal immigration enforcement and urging the community to remain peaceful.
Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden confirmed earlier this week he learned of Border Patrol’s plans to operate in the city.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said there have been “too many victims” of crimes by undocumented immigrants and that President Donald Trump and Secretary Kristi Noem “will step up to protect Americans when sanctuary politicians won’t.”
Community organizations reported a heightened presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and CBP officers across multiple corridors, including South Boulevard, Archdale, Arrowood, Central Avenue, Rosehaven and Sharon Amity, beginning early Saturday morning.
A local reporter captured video of Border Patrol arresting a man at a shopping center in east Charlotte.
In recent months, federal immigration agencies have undertaken high-profile operations in cities such as Chicago, where a judicial order cited warrantless detention of 85% of the individuals arrested under Operation Midway Blitz and required the release of hundreds of detainees. In Portland, reports of protest activity and federal troop deployments tied to immigration enforcement sparked legal action and scrutiny over use of force.
Mecklenburg County officials touched on this Saturday in its joint statement, saying the Border Patrol “operations are causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty in our community as recent operations in other cities have resulted in people without criminal records being detained and violent protests being the result of unwarranted actions.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Suzanne Gamboa and Nollaig O’Connor contributed.
