Federal immigration agents launch crackdown in Charlotte, DHS announces
Federal immigration agents on Saturday began operations in Charlotte, North Carolina, the latest target of President Trump's widening crackdown on illegal immigration, the Department of Homeland Security announced.
DHS said it officially launched an operation dubbed "Charlotte's Web" to target immigrants living in the Charlotte area illegally. CBS News first reported last week that the Trump administration was preparing to deploy teams of Border Patrol agents to Charlotte, including outspoken Commander Gregory Bovino, who had led a weekslong, controversial crackdown in the Chicago area.
"We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed," DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. "There have been too many victims of criminal illegal aliens."
Videos posted on social media on Saturday appeared to depict green-uniformed Border Patrol agents carrying out arrests in the Charlotte region. As of Monday afternoon, 131 had been arrested, the Department of Homeland Security said. That number includes immigration arrests by both Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Scores of Border Patrol agents are expected to participate in the Charlotte operation, which could involve armored vehicles and special operations teams, according to internal government documents obtained by CBS News.
The Trump administration's effort has already garnered strong criticism from Democratic officials in North Carolina, including Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, who said in a statement alongside other local leaders that the operation was "causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty."
After the operation in Charlotte, Border Patrol's focus is expected to shift to New Orleans, where officials are planning to send as many as 200 agents to launch an operation dubbed the "Catahoula Crunch," CBS News reported Friday.