US arrests over 130 in first 48 hours of Charlotte immigration operation
U.S. Border Patrol agents have detained more than 130 people in Charlotte, North Carolina, during the first two days of a major federal immigration operation, authorities confirmed on Monday. The arrests come as President Donald Trump’s nationwide mass-deportation campaign intensifies across southern states.
Rob Brisley, spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), said the detentions occurred Saturday and Sunday as agents targeted individuals suspected of being in the country without legal status, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
“We will not stop enforcing the laws of our nation until every criminal illegal alien is arrested and removed,” Brisley said.
CBP did not provide details on ongoing actions or indicate how long the Charlotte operation will last.
Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell, a Democrat, confirmed that the operation will expand to Raleigh, the state’s second-largest city, noting that local police were not involved in planning.
“I ask Raleigh to remember our values and maintain peace and respect through any upcoming challenges,” she said.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles urged calm and stressed that constitutional protections apply to all residents, regardless of immigration status. She added that city officials were working to support affected communities “within complicated legal boundaries.”
“To everyone in Charlotte who is feeling anxious or fearful: you are not alone. Your city stands with you,” Lyles wrote on social media.
The crackdown has prompted peaceful protests in Charlotte, including a student walkout at East Mecklenburg High School on Monday. Videos circulating online show aggressive arrests, including masked CBP agents smashing a truck window and pulling a man from the vehicle.
Several Latino-owned businesses closed over the weekend and remained shut on Monday in the city of 943,000, one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the United States, driven by jobs in finance, tech, and logistics.
Mass deportations and strict immigration enforcement remain central to President Trump’s domestic agenda. Since he took office in January, federal agents have conducted operations in large, Democrat-run cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago, as well as more conservative rural areas.
The actions have sparked nationwide protests and confrontations between federal officers and residents who often record the raids on their phones.
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein, a Democrat, criticized the Charlotte operation sharply, calling it “racial profiling” and accusing agents of targeting U.S. citizens based on appearance.
“We’ve seen masked, heavily armed agents in paramilitary garb driving unmarked cars, targeting American citizens based on their skin color,” Stein said.
The Department of Homeland Security said the raids were carried out in response to almost 1,400 detainer requests that local authorities in Charlotte allegedly declined. These detainers ask police to hold individuals for up to 48 extra hours so immigration agents can take custody.
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