A high-ranking border patrol official announced on Sunday that numerous arrests had taken place in Charlotte, North Carolina. Local residents expressed their distress over federal immigration agents increasingly encountering them near churches and apartment complexes.
The Trump administration seems to have set its sights on this Democratic stronghold of around 950,000 residents for a major immigration enforcement operation they claim will deter crime. This move has not been welcomed by local leaders, particularly given that crime levels in the area have been steadily decreasing.
Related:Federal immigration officers initiate operations in Charlotte, North Carolina
As a result of the heightened atmosphere, some local businesses opted to close over the weekend, leading to an unusual hush across typically lively districts on Saturday afternoons, as fear of anti-immigration raids kept many at home.
Gregory Bovino, who led similar initiatives in Chicago, took to social media to share that he had witnessed more than 80 arrests. He shared images of individuals often labeled by the Trump administration as “criminal illegal aliens,” a term used for non-citizens with alleged criminal records. One photo featured a man apparently linked to driving under the influence offenses.
Bovino remarked on X, “We’ve detained this individual, ensuring he can’t continue breaking the law and endangering your loved ones on the roads of Charlotte.”
D “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” this current action evokes the title of the famous children’s book while also illustrating the feeling of entrapment faced by affected communities.
At the nonprofit Camino, which serves Latino populations, many expressed their fear of leaving home for jobs, schooling, or medical care. Paola Garcia, a spokesperson for the group, indicated that there were nine cancellations at their dental clinic just on Friday.
Garcia commented, “Latinos adore this country; they came here to escape oppressive systems and are known for their hard work and strong faith. It’s heartbreaking to see this community marked as a target now.”
Previous operations led by Bovino in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles sparked numerous lawsuits and an investigation into questionable force use, reported to include the application of chemical agents during protests.
Leaders from the Democratic party in those cities have stated that the presence of federal agents has heightened community tensions, subsequently inciting violence.
Despite the controversy, Bovino and other officials in the Trump administration have defended their aggressive use of force, arguing it’s necessitated by increasing dangers to agents.
Requests for clarification from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the supervising agency of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), regarding the Charlotte arrests went unanswered. A spokesperson for Bovino also did not respond on Sunday.
DHS has been vague about the specifics of those being targeted. For example, in the Chicago area, they only disclosed identities and details related to a fraction of over 3,000 arrests made recently.
On Sunday, reports concerning CBP activities in Charlotte were pouring in, prompting Greg Asciutto, the executive director of the community development organization CharlotteEast, to note the overwhelming nature of the situation via email. “In the past two hours alone, we’ve received a staggering number of notifications regarding CBP operations at churches, apartment buildings, and even a hardware store,” he stated.
JD Mazuera Arias, newly elected to the city council, spoke out against raids targeting sites of worship, deeming it “abominable.”
He added, “These places provide hope and guidance in difficult times; now, they are becoming unsafe due to the appalling violation of people’s rights to worship freely.”
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Contributions to this report were made by the Associated Press.
