Federal authorities have arrested 130 people in Charlotte, North Carolina, during a two-day immigration sweep ordered under President Donald Trump’s intensifying crackdown, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has confirmed.
Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary, said that several of those detained were criminals and gang members, though local officials argue the operation has created fear, unrest, and unnecessary confrontation within the community.
The agency also disclosed that a US citizen allegedly rammed a law-enforcement vehicle, injuring an officer as agents attempted to make an arrest.
Charlotte, a city far smaller than Los Angeles and Chicago two earlier targets of mass immigration operations became the latest focus of what federal officials have branded “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” a name repeatedly promoted online by border official Greg Bovino. Authorities say 81 arrests occurred within a five-hour window on Saturday alone.
According to DHS, at least two gang members were captured, while others had prior convictions ranging from assault on law enforcement to driving while intoxicated, document tampering, and theft.
But the raids have sparked backlash. Hundreds of Charlotte residents marched in protest over the weekend, condemning what they described as aggressive tactics that threaten public safety rather than enhance it.
Charlotte’s Democratic mayor, Vi Lyles, warned that the city’s residents feel “threatened” and “destabilised” by the sudden federal presence.
“I am deeply concerned with many of the videos I’ve seen,” she said. “To everyone in Charlotte who is feeling anxious or fearful: you are not alone. Your city stands with you.”
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein also denounced the sweep, accusing the agents of racially profiling citizens.
“We’ve seen masked, heavily armed agents in paramilitary garb driving unmarked cars, targeting American citizens based on their skin colour and picking up random people in parking lots,” Stein said. “This is not making us safer.”
Fears of detention prompted many migrants in the city to stay indoors, a pattern seen across the US during periods of heightened immigration enforcement.
DHS on Sunday released video footage showing a white van being chased by police vehicles after the driver allegedly steered toward officers. The driver reportedly struck patrol cars before being apprehended.
Federal officials have not disclosed how long the Charlotte operation will continue. Chicago’s crackdown, launched in September, remains active.
The expanded enforcement drive under Trump has reshaped immigration policing across the country, affecting large cities as well as smaller towns and suburbs. It has also contributed to a sharp drop in illegal border entries, according to observations during a recent BBC visit to the US-Mexico border.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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