Overview
- Federal officials confirmed a coordinated DHS operation in Charlotte, with CBP and ICE agents making arrests across multiple corridors on Saturday.
- Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino said 81 people were arrested in about five hours on the first day, with agents detaining people along roads, in parking lots and outside businesses.
- Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and other local officials said the actions are causing unnecessary fear, while the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department emphasized it is not participating and the sheriff said he was notified in advance.
- Videos and witness accounts describe instances where U.S. citizens were stopped or detained, including a man released after proving citizenship following agents breaking his car window.
- DHS said the surge targets criminal undocumented migrants and cited nearly 1,400 unhonored ICE detainers in North Carolina, as protests and some business closures were reported and the scope and timeline remain unspecified.