The U.S. Border Patrol said it arrested 81 people in Charlotte during a roughly five-hour operation on Saturday, the first day its team operated in the city under Commander Gregory Bovino. DHS officials said the sweep was prompted by local authorities' refusal to honor nearly 1,400 detainer requests. Many detainees were described as having "significant criminal and immigration history," and local police are not participating in the federal operation. The raids follow a wider pattern of federal immigration enforcement that has sparked protests and criticism from rights groups.
Border Patrol Detains 81 in Charlotte During First-Day Immigration Sweep
The U.S. Border Patrol said it arrested 81 people in Charlotte during a roughly five-hour operation on Saturday, the first day its team operated in the city under Commander Gregory Bovino. DHS officials said the sweep was prompted by local authorities' refusal to honor nearly 1,400 detainer requests. Many detainees were described as having "significant criminal and immigration history," and local police are not participating in the federal operation. The raids follow a wider pattern of federal immigration enforcement that has sparked protests and criticism from rights groups.
11:29 AM, 11/17/2025Politics
Border Patrol Detains 81 in Charlotte During First Day of Federal Operation
Federal agents detained at least 81 people in Charlotte, North Carolina, over the weekend during a roughly five-hour operation, a senior U.S. Border Patrol commander said on Sunday. The arrests — made on the first day the federal team was operating in the city — represent a marked escalation of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts.
Commander Gregory Bovino, who previously led immigration crackdowns in Los Angeles and Chicago and arrived in Charlotte this week, posted on social media that many of those taken into custody had "significant criminal and immigration history." Bovino said the arrests occurred within about a five-hour span on Saturday.
"Many of those arrested had significant criminal and immigration history," Bovino wrote on social media.
Neither U.S. Border Patrol nor Immigration and Customs Enforcement immediately responded to requests for comment on Sunday. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees both agencies, also did not respond to a request for comment, according to the report.
DHS officials said the Charlotte operation was launched in response to local officials' refusal to comply with nearly 1,400 "detainer" requests from immigration authorities — requests that ask local jails to hold suspects for up to 48 hours beyond their normal release time. City leaders, including Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and city commissioners, have urged residents to seek assistance if needed.
The raids are part of a broader pattern of federal immigration enforcement since President Donald Trump took office in January, with operations in predominantly Democratic-run cities as well as in more conservative rural areas. Those actions have prompted large demonstrations in affected cities, where residents have sometimes confronted federal agents attempting to detain people suspected of being in the country illegally. Immigration-rights groups and other critics say some law-abiding residents have been wrongly caught up in the sweeps.
Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Police are not participating in the federal raids and officials have encouraged residents to contact local authorities for assistance.
Reporting by Brad Brooks in Colorado; Editing by Diane Craft.