Federal Border Patrol agents carried out arrests across Charlotte on Saturday as part of a DHS-led effort officials said aims to remove public-safety threats. Local leaders including Mayor Vi Lyles condemned the raids as "causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty" and urged peaceful protest and remote recording of agents. Witnesses reported agents chasing people — one Honduran-born U.S. citizen said he saw "a lot of Latinos running" and was stopped twice. The operation follows the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska months earlier and mirrors similar raids in several other states.
Federal Immigration Sweeps Hit Charlotte Months After Ukrainian Refugee's Killing — Local Leaders Condemn Raids
Federal Border Patrol agents carried out arrests across Charlotte on Saturday as part of a DHS-led effort officials said aims to remove public-safety threats. Local leaders including Mayor Vi Lyles condemned the raids as "causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty" and urged peaceful protest and remote recording of agents. Witnesses reported agents chasing people — one Honduran-born U.S. citizen said he saw "a lot of Latinos running" and was stopped twice. The operation follows the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska months earlier and mirrors similar raids in several other states.
08:33 AM, 11/16/2025Politics
Federal agents conduct large-scale immigration enforcement across Charlotte
Federal agents mounted a sizable immigration enforcement operation across Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday, with U.S. Border Patrol officers seen making arrests throughout the city of more than 900,000 residents, according to the Associated Press.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin described the operation as part of a federal effort to ensure public safety. McLaughlin said,
"Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens hurting them, their families, or their neighbors."
Local officials quickly criticized the enforcement action. Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, Mecklenburg County Commissioner Mark Jerrell and Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board member Stephanie Sneed issued a joint statement saying the federal activity is "causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty." They added, "We want people in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County to know we stand with all residents who simply want to go about their lives."
A witness, Honduran-born U.S. citizen Willy Aceituno, told the Associated Press he saw "a lot of Latinos running" as agents moved through parts of the city; Aceituno also said he was stopped twice. Officials noted the operation followed months after the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska aboard a Charlotte light-rail train — a case that drew national attention.
The Charlotte activity mirrors recent immigration enforcement actions reported in California, Illinois, Oregon and New York. In advance of the planned operation, local leaders had urged residents to protest peacefully if they chose and to record agents from a safe distance. Mecklenburg County Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell said, "We are living in the strangest of times," summarizing local unease.
Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden told residents federal officials had notified his office that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents planned to begin enforcement in the community by Saturday or in the coming days. The Department of Homeland Security and Mayor Vi Lyles did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Context: The federal enforcement comes amid heightened national attention on crime, migration and the use of targeted sweeps in U.S. cities. Local leaders and community members have expressed concern about the operations' impact on residents' sense of safety and civil liberties.