Arrests now top 250 in immigration crackdown across North Carolina

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Federal agents have now arrested more than 250 people during a North Carolina immigration crackdown centered around Charlotte, the state’s largest city, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday.

The operation that began over the weekend is the latest phase of Republican President Donald Trump’s aggressive mass deportation efforts that have sent the military and immigration agents into Democratic-run cities — from Chicago to Los Angeles.

Immigration officials have blanketed the country since January, pushing detention counts to all-time highs above 60,000. Big cities and small towns across the country are targeted daily amid higher-profile pushes in places such as Portland, Oregon, where more than 560 immigration arrests were made in October. Smaller bursts of enforcement have popped up elsewhere.

The push to carry out arrests in North Carolina expanded to areas around the state capital of Raleigh on Tuesday, spreading fear in at least one immigrant-heavy suburb.

The number of arrests around Charlotte and beyond during what the government has dubbed “ Operation Charlotte’s Web ” was about double the total announced by DHS officials earlier this week. The department said in a statement that agencies “continue to target some of the most dangerous criminal illegal aliens.”

Their targets include people living in the U.S. without legal permission and those who allegedly have criminal records.

Federal officials have offered few details about those arrested. They’ve also remained quiet about the scope of the enforcement operations across North Carolina and where agents will show up next, keeping communities on edge.

The crackdown in Charlotte has been met with pockets of resistance and protests.

About 100 people gathered outside a Home Depot store in Charlotte on Wednesday, where federal agents have been spotted multiple times since the surge started. Protest organizers briefly went inside the store with orange and white signs that read, “ICE out of Home Depot, Protect our communities.”

Arrests in Charlotte and the Raleigh area have created a chilling effect in immigrant neighborhoods — school attendance dropped, and small shops and restaurants closed to avoid confrontations between customers and federal agents.

Customers at a laundromat left behind their clothes in washers and dryers and haven’t returned after agents showed up at a Charlotte shopping center on Sunday, said David Rebolloso, who owns the business.

Agents didn’t target his laundromat, but it still impacted his bottom line and shut down the neighboring shops, said Rebolloso, a Mexican American born in Brownsville, Texas.

“We’re only open because I’m an American citizen, so it doesn’t bother me,” he said. “But of course, business is down. I have no customers.”

Just days after beginning the crackdown in North Carolina, Border Patrol agents were expected to arrive in New Orleans by the end of the week to start preparing for their next big operation in southeast Louisiana, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press and three people familiar with the operation.

Around 250 federal border agents are set to descend on New Orleans in the coming weeks for a two-month immigration crackdown expected to begin in earnest on Dec. 1.

Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol commander tapped to head the Louisiana sweep, has been on the ground in North Carolina this week, leading the operation there as well.

Louisiana Republicans voiced their support on Wednesday. The chair of the state party, Derek Babcock, said it shows a commitment from Trump and Republican Gov. Jeff Landry to “keeping our citizens safe.”

The head of the state’s American Civil Liberties Union chapter said they were compiling information to help people know their rights and coordinating with legal services and groups connected with the immigrant community.

“We urge those with privilege and the opportunity to risk it to stand up for their neighbors and friends,” said Alanah Odoms with the ACLU of Louisiana.

Why Charlotte?

The Department of Homeland Security says it’s focusing on North Carolina’s biggest city because of so-called sanctuary policies that limit cooperation between local authorities and immigration agents.

However, most North Carolina county jails have long honored “detainers,” or requests from federal officials to hold an arrested immigrant for a limited time so agents can take custody of them. But some common, non-cooperation policies have existed in a handful of places. Charlotte is run by a Democratic mayor, and its police department doesn’t help with immigration enforcement. In Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte, the jail did not honor detainer requests for several years, until after state law effectively made it mandatory starting last year.

The Trump administration also has pointed to the fatal stabbing this summer of a Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte light-rail train to argue that Democratic-led cities are failing to protect residents.

Local leaders argue that the enforcement isn’t needed, pointing to declining crime rates.

Are there many immigrants in Charlotte?

Charlotte and its suburbs in Mecklenburg County continue to be among the nation’s fastest-growing regions, driven a great deal by international migration.

The city alone is home to about 950,000 residents, including roughly 150,000 people who are foreign-born, according to local officials. The biggest share come from Latin American countries.

How many people have been arrested?

So far, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency says more than 130 people have been arrested in Charlotte in just two days.

It says those arrested include people with records of gang membership, aggravated assault, shoplifting and other crimes. But the agency offered few other details, including how many of those had been facing charges.

What is the reaction in Charlotte?

In the days before agents arrived in Charlotte, organizations opposing the sweep began training volunteers how to recognize federal agents and protest what’s happening. The groups also made sure that immigrants are aware of their rights.

At least one store owner closed his shop part this weekend because he said immigration enforcement officers had targeted his customers.

How have North Carolina leaders responded

The state’s governor, Democrat Josh Stein, says the enforcement activity is increasing fears and dividing Charlotte.

He says masked Border Patrol agents are targeting people based on their skin color and picking up random people in parking lots and sidewalks.

Mecklenburg County Republican Party Chairman Kyle Kirby is welcoming the action, saying the county party stands with the rule of law and putting safety first.