Overview
- CBP and ICE agents carried out arrests across multiple Charlotte corridors, with commander Gregory Bovino reporting 81 taken into custody in roughly five hours on day one.
- Authorities say more than 130 people were detained over the weekend under “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” with DHS listing alleged offenses but not specifying how many involved convictions.
- Protests grew as some businesses closed and residents reported aggressive stops, including U.S. citizen Willy Aceituno, who was released after showing proof of citizenship following a window-smashing stop.
- Mayor Vi Lyles and Governor Josh Stein criticized the tactics and urged residents to document misconduct, while Charlotte-Mecklenburg police stressed they are not participating.
- DHS frames the surge as a response to roughly 1,400 ICE detainers it says went unhonored in North Carolina, and federal sources say agents are expected to stay in Charlotte until Friday before a planned redeployment to New Orleans.