Charlotte leaders voiced their frustration with the lack of communication with federal officials about the Border Patrol’s impending deployment to the Queen City.
“This has just not been a transparent process overall, and none of us stand for it,” Aisha Dew, State House Representative for District 107, said Friday morning.
There were reports Wednesday that the federal agents stationed in Chicago would move to Charlotte to continue enforcing the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.
“This isn’t a request that came from Mecklenburg County for assistance or for help,” County Commission Chair Mark Jerrell said. “And so, we don’t understand what the plan is.”
“Everything has been veiled in this cloak of secrecy,” he said.
In a separate statement, Gov. Josh Stein asked people to “stand with our neighbors” and be peaceful.
“Public safety is the top priority for all of us in government — that means fighting crime, not stoking fear or causing division. We should all focus on and arrest violent criminals and drug traffickers. Unfortunately, that’s not always what we have seen with ICE and Border Patrol Agents in Chicago and elsewhere around the country. The vast majority of people they have detained have no criminal convictions, and some are American citizens,” the governor said.
“I want to encourage North Carolinians to remember our values. We follow the law. We remain peaceful. We do not allow ourselves to be provoked. We stand with our neighbors. And when we see injustice, we bear witness. If you see any inappropriate behavior, use your phones to record and notify local law enforcement, who will continue to keep our communities safe long after these federal agents leave. That’s the North Carolina way,” Stein said.
The Trump administration’s “Operation Midway Blitz” in the Chicago area was announced in early September, over the objections of local leaders and after weeks of threats on the Democratic stronghold.
It started as a handful of arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in the suburbs but eventually included hundreds of Customs and Border Protection agents whose tactics grew increasingly aggressive. More than 3,200 people suspected of violating immigration laws have been arrested across Chicago and its many suburbs dipping into Indiana.
Democrats have accused the federal agents of using unnecessary force and creating a climate of fear.
“Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and what we have seen the border patrol and ICE agents do in places like Chicago and Los Angeles — using excessive force in their operations and tear gassing peaceful protestors — threatens the wellbeing of the communities they enter,” U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, a Democrat who represents the Charlotte area, said on social media.
A top Border Patrol leader responded Friday to Stein and Adams.
“Immigrants rest assured, we have your back like we did in Chicago and Los Angeles,” Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino said on X. “Rep. Adams, perhaps you & Gov. STEIN should learn the difference between an illegal alien & an immigrant. Illegal aliens have NO PLACE in our communities and should self deport via CBP Home.”
Bovino has ties to North Carolina, having completed his undergraduate and master’s degrees at universities in the state’s western mountains.
Many of the local leaders at a press conference in Charlotte on Friday issued a statement of solidarity Wednesday addressing the rumors about the agency’s deployment that were unverified at the time.
“More than 150,000 foreign-born residents live in our city, contributing billions to our economy and enriching every neighborhood with culture, hard work and hope,” it read, adding: “We will stand together, look out for one another, and ensure that fear never divides the city we all call home.”
The rumors were confirmed by the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office Thursday.
“Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry L. McFadden was contacted by two separate federal officials confirming that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel will be arriving in the Charlotte area as early as this Saturday or the beginning of next week,” the sheriff’s office said in a release.
The sheriff’s office said federal officials have not shared details of what CPB will do in the Queen City and has not asked the office for help.
Charlotte leaders said they have already begun receiving reports of what appeared to be plainclothes officers in neighborhoods and on local transit.
“This is some of the chaos that we also saw in Chicago,” state Sen. Caleb Theodros, who represents Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, said Thursday.
Some of the federal operations were carried out near schools in Chicago.
Duvall, the school board member, said that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools sent an email to parents Thursday night about how the school system will handle agents’ presence in the city.
She said the policies and procedures have also been posted on the board’s website.
“We have tons of resources there available to the public, and if you have any other questions, please reach out directly,” she said.
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