US immigration raids begin in Charlotte, North Carolina
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A protest rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Nov 15 against immigration raids in the city by federal authorities.
PHOTO: AFP
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WASHINGTON – US federal authorities conducted raids on Nov 15 in the banking hub of Charlotte, North Carolina, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said, expanding its crackdown on illegal immigration to the South.
“We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed,” DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “There have been too many victims of criminal illegal aliens.”
DHS, which oversees US Customs and Border Protection (CPB), did not provide details on the operation, including how many law enforcement officers took part or the number of people detained.
But the agency blamed North Carolina officials, saying their refusal to detain suspects sought by immigration authorities led to Nov 15’s operation.
DHS said North Carolina has not honoured almost 1,400 “detainers” – requests by immigration officials to hold suspects for up to 48 hours beyond the time they would ordinarily be released.
The North Carolina governor’s office and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, a Democrat, and city commissioners on Nov 15 urged people to seek help, including from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, which is not participating in the federal raids.
“There are a number of organisations standing ready to assist individuals seeking legal guidance on immigration matters,” the city officials said in a statement.
The expected raids caused fear and uncertainty in Charlotte because similar operations in other cities resulted in people without criminal records being detained, they said.
Local leaders earlier this week said they were informed that a CBP operation would start on Nov 15.
US Representative Alma Adams, a Democrat, said on Nov 13 she was “extremely concerned” about Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel coming to Charlotte.
“Charlotte’s immigrant community is a proud part of the Queen City, and I will not stand by and watch my constituents be intimidated or harassed,” Ms Adams posted on social media platform X.
Mr Gregory Bovino, a US Border Patrol official who has led Mr Trump’s aggressive crackdown in Chicago since September, responded to Ms Adams that she and North Carolina Governor Josh Stein, a Democrat, “should learn the difference between an illegal alien and an immigrant”.
Since President Donald Trump, a Republican, took office, ICE has dramatically increased its detainer requests, which rose to a daily average of 700 to early June from an average of about 400 a day during the same time period in 2024, according to a Reuters analysis of ICE data collected by University of California, Berkeley’s Deportation Data Project.
Mr Trump has focused on ramping up immigration arrests
Border Patrol agents in Chicago have helped increase immigration arrests, but protesters and some residents say the agents used excessive force, including deploying tear gas in busy urban areas.
A Chicago-based federal judge barred immigration agents from using some aggressive tactics and ordered them to wear body cameras after videos cited in a lawsuit showed violent clashes with protesters. REUTERS
