Federal agents began making arrests in Charlotte on Saturday as part of a new Border Patrol operation in the city, an action the Department of Homeland Security said is intended to "ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed." The announcement of increased federal activity led local officials to emphasize that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is not involved in federal immigration enforcement, NBC News reports, and they urged residents to stay calm. Still, Mayor Vi Lyles said, per the AP, the agents "are causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty."
Reports of heightened federal activity surfaced across several areas of Charlotte, including along major roads and at shopping centers. Community organizations and migrant advocates responded by distributing cards with legal guidance in English and Spanish, advising people on how to interact with federal agents. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said that the action is a response to crimes committed by undocumented immigrants and that the Trump administration intends to act where "sanctuary politicians" will not.
Gathering places for immigrants cleared out on Saturday once word of the agents' presence was out. El Salvadoran restaurants were closed, per the New York Times, and street vendors who usually sell mangos on weekends were missing. Residents posted videos showing masked Border Patrol agents arriving at small businesses and Home Depots across the area. Greg Bovino, who's led similar Border Patrol operations in Chicago and Los Angeles, was filmed by residents walking through a Home Depot parking lot in the afternoon with a dozen agents. When a woman asked why the agents were at a store where people were simply shopping, one of them answered that they were searching for criminals. The group left after about five minutes.
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