Over the weekend, North Carolina became the latest target for the Trump administration’s immigration “crackdown.” It began with the lamely named “Operation Charlotte’s Web” in Charlotte and by Tuesday, ICE and CBP agents had expanded to the Triangle (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill and the surrounding areas). The presence of these federal agents have been disruptive at best and illegal and cruel at worst. The biggest headline to break through nationwide was a raid on a church in Charlotte, which targeted congregants who had gathered there to cook and do yard work while their children played together on the grounds. Sadly, this was “legal” because earlier this year, Trump reversed a Biden-era policy that made places like schools and churches off-limits to immigration agents.
As of Tuesday, 250 people have been kidnapped taken into custody in the Charlotte area. No official numbers have been released yet for the Triangle, but initial reports say it was at least a dozen. So why are federal officials kidnapping people in North Carolina? The Dept of Homeland Security says it’s to target “criminal illegal aliens” who have “flocked” there for protection from “sanctuary politicians.” The only problem with that explanation is that North Carolina doesn’t have any sanctuary cities. It also has some pretty strict immigration laws thanks to Republicans who have had complete control over the state legislature for the last 15 years.
In Charlotte, North Carolina, federal agents smashed the window of a U.S. citizen’s truck before pulling him to the ground. Tens of thousands of public school students have been reported absent. And businesses in immigrant communities shuttered as border agents patrolled the streets.
North Carolina has become the latest focus of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, as federal agents surge into Charlotte and spread out across other Democratic-led cities in the notorious swing state, including Durham and Raleigh. Located hundreds of miles from the southern and northern borders, North Carolina doesn’t often generate national attention for immigration related issues, leading residents and local officials to question why the state that voted for Donald Trump in the last three presidential elections is being targeted.
The Department of Homeland Security said it launched “Operation Charlotte’s Web” to “target the criminal illegal aliens who flocked to the Tar Heel State because they knew sanctuary politicians would protect them and allow them to roam free on American streets.”
But Charlotte is not considered a sanctuary city, and the state has some of the strictest immigration provisions in the country, experts said, including a mandate passed last year requiring local jails to hold arrested immigrants for a limited time so they can be picked up by federal authorities.
“No cities in the state have sanctuary policies, if they did they would be violating state law,” said Rick Su, a professor of law at the University of North Carolina who specializes in immigration and local government. Su also noted that no city in North Carolina was included on the Justice Department’s list of “sanctuary jurisdictions,” which the agency defines as areas with “policies, laws, or regulations that impede enforcement of federal immigration laws.”
After the weekend raids, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein criticized the operation as inducing “widespread fear” and said it is “not about public safety.”
“They’re driving around Charlotte in unmarked cars wearing paramilitary garb, masks, stopping people on the street randomly based on the color of their skin,” Stein said. “This is not promoting safety in our communities. The people of North Carolina deserve to be safe.”
The operations are being led by Gregory Bovino, the U.S. Border Patrol official who coordinated immigration raids in Chicago that triggered lawsuits and fierce backlash over what many described as agents’ aggressive enforcement tactics. [A]ccording to a federal judge, [Bovino] admitted to lying about a rock-throwing incident used to justify the deployment tear gas on protesters.
Since the enforcement began in Charlotte, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District said over 30,000 students – about 20% of the student population – were absent on Monday, Nov. 17, according to preliminary data. Officials have not tied the low attendance numbers directly to the immigration enforcement. According to data from the school district, 31% of the student population identifies as Hispanic.
Videos of border agents conducting arrests have drawn scrutiny, including one of masked agents smashing the window of a U.S. citizen and pulling him to the ground. The man, Willy Aceituno, was brought into a Border Patrol vehicle and released after he showed agents documentation proving his citizenship, he told the Associated Press.
“I am deeply concerned with many of the videos I’ve seen,” said Mayor Vi Lyles in a statement on X. She added that her office is working to determine “what more we can do to support our community while working within complicated legal boundaries.”
At a city council meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 18, Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell said immigration authorities were spotted in Wake and Durham counties. She urged people to call the Raleigh Police Department if they feel unsafe or see something illegal.
In Durham, local officials held a news conference and spoke out against the federal intervention. Nida Allam, the chair of the Durham Board of County Commissioners, said border agents were in the city to stoke fear, not fight crime.
“Durham is over 1,300 miles from the border,” Allam said. “None of this was about securing our borders, none of it was about enforcing the law. It was a show of force meant to scare people.”
So why is NC the federal government’s latest target? On one hand, it’s a purple state with a Democratic governor. On the other hand, NC voted for Trump in the last three presidential elections and has a Republican majority in both the state legislature and the Supreme Court. I suspect it’s a combination of f-cking with Gov. Stein, a recent tragedy on Charlotte public transit that right-wing media has gone all in on, and retribution for AG Jeff Jackson being part of a group of attorneys general that’s sued the admin for their various illegal activities. There’s also an added bonus of potentially throwing a wrench into the 2026 senate race, in which former governor Roy Cooper currently leads the MAGA candidate, Michael Whatley. Whatever the actual reason is doesn’t really matter because at the end of the day, the federal government is still illegally detaining people and denying them due process.
I live in NC. People are scared. But, they’ve also banded together in a way that I haven’t seen in a long time. ICE-tracking websites are being updated in real time. Facebook groups have posts set up to both warn about sightings and allow people to offer help to anyone scared to leave their homes right now. I’ve seen strangers in “Mom” groups offer to deliver groceries or stand at bus stops. School districts have sent out emails reassuring parents that no one gets into the building without a federal warrant while also offering contact information for a point person that will help kids who do stay home make up their classwork. Students are marching in protest. Businesses have posted signs saying that federal agents are not welcome in their establishments without warrants. I saw a picture on Instagram of a movie theater in Raleigh that changed their marquee to read “Detain deez nuts” in Spanish. It’s terrifying and terrible that American cities are going through this right now, but I’m grateful at how many people and organizations are stepping up to fight it in any way that they can.
They’re trafficking people! That’s what’s happening and they are dealing in slavery. I’m sure of it. I’m sick every single day seeing what’s happening. Every day is a new nightmare.
When we were visiting my husband’s family in Alabama a couple of months ago, he was arguing with some of his MAGA relatives about the economic consequences of this ethnic cleansing (because that’s what these deportations are, make no mistake). His uncle and cousin actually said that maybe instead of deporting undocumented people, we should imprison them and put them to work. Uncle and cousin did not think that this constituted slavery, and in fact, it was basically like amnesty because they’d be allowed to remain in the country that way, so not even liberals and the would-be deportees themselves could be angry about that.
Admittedly, I don’t know if that idea is actually widely popular in MAGA circles, but it certainly sounds like it could be.
The 13th Amendment makes slavery after imprisonment legal. For profit prisons backers supported his reelection. A winning combination for capitalism.
Well, that’s what prisons are in the south. It’s a modern day version of slavery where I live. Department of Corrections has them out picking up trash on the roads and working on plantations and they are “paid” pennies on the dollar. There is a new pool in the 13th amendment that allows it.
MAGA, Miller & co. have absolutely been arguing that “slavery was good for slaves” and would love to bring it back, and Trump has pondered out loud that maybe for some industries/businesses, the owners (i.e. employers but I’m pretty sure he means it in all senses of the term) could be in charge of their undocumented employees (essentially vouching for their necessity so they’d be able to stay), which no doubt is intended to give the owners incredible power of authority and abuse over their employees…so yeah, slavery with a 21st c. filter.
This is the truth, horrifying as it is.
Our government is at WAR with us, our own country – for profit and fascist power.
@ThatGirlThere, that has been my fear too. In my state (CA), only about half the people being detained get assigned an “Alien” number, which has to be assigned by the ICE/DHS officer (offensive? Yes, yes it is) that is used by the government to track them through the system – and the only way families can find out where their loved ones have been taken).
So there’s no way to track those who don’t get assigned one, and I have been absolutely sure in my gut that those people are being disappeared into trafficking.
And since this administration will do anything to protect traffickers OR to make money, I have no doubt they are capable of and willing to do both.
This is what the Nazi’s did. Disgusting.
I’m in Greensboro NC, about 90 minutes from both Charlotte and Raleigh and we are in high alert. For anyone who thinks they might need it:
“La migra esta aqui! NO SE DICE NADA!”
And cameras at the ready. Fuck ICE.
Too bad the state went for Trump in the last 3 elections. Maybe some people have learned from that.
Remember during Trump’s first campaign and subsequent presidency*, when many of us voiced concerns about his blatant white supremacy and dictator fetish and tried to warn people that this is exactly how fascism starts, and everybody rolled their eyes and we were dismissed (frequently even by our own side!) as being hyperbolic? Yeah, fuck every last one of those complacent, complicit, Nazi-appeasing assholes.
*New Yorkers and, I would assume, POC all over the country, actually called out these tendencies way back in the early ’90s, because we remembered his blood-thirsty campaign of hate against the Central Park 5.
Oh lots of us saw exactly what this is, said something, and got shamed for it. Lots of us women over 40, for example.
What’s sad is how so many everyday people seem stuck into fearful paralysis. I have good friends who always vote against all R’s/actively support human rights for all, who are so overwhelmed they just keep saying “maybe this will blow over.” It won’t and they know it, but they are so horrified it’s like they can’t deal.
This may not get approved, but I’ll try. People are just rolling over because the nonviolent mechanisms are being disregarded by the administration. And in 2025, we’ve been too safe for too long in the US. People don’t truly want revolution because revolution is violent.
Tuesday, I think what everyone has been doing to resist is a revolution. The protests will continue to get bigger and bigger–something they DO NOT WANT. The last No Kings Day was close to 20 million people–they say 7-8 million because those were the people who RSVP’d. They had crowd counters who came out with the 20 million number. I believe that is much closer than the lower numbers. We don’t have to be violent. That’s what this administration is most concerned about. They know we grossly outnumber them.
I’m also in NC. I saw an infuriating interview from some construction manager in Charlotte yesterday. All of his jobsites are empty. No one is showing up to work. He was responding to someone telling him that he voted for this to happen. He acknowledged that and said something along the lines of “there are always casualties in a war.” What an utter moron. We aren’t at war, and your business literally stops when the brown people you rely on to do everything are targeted. Beyond the utterly devastating human element, the financial hit NC is going to take from all of this is going to be huge.
Thankfully, one of those casualties is this racists’ business. 🙂
And that construction manager is a prime example of somebody who is in a cult. They’re destroying my life and my livelihood but we’re winning!
Per my doctor friends, ICE agents are stationing themselves near ERs, hospitals, and medical clinics. This is one town at least 90 minutes from Raleigh.
I live in NC and they are targeting democratic areas Charlotte and Raleigh being big areas of democrats. There was an incident on the light rail in Charlotte where there was a stabbing and the orange menace is using that to claim it’s a very violent area but that’s not the case. My grandson goes to UNCC he is biracial and I worry for him. His skin is more white than brown but I worry.
It’s a campaign to target and punish southern cities with democratic mayors. I think I read they are headed to New Orleans next. I could be wrong, but I think it will backfire on them ultimately because even my boomer Republican mom is now saying that ICE are thugs.
Also in NC and also scared. The only “upside” (?) is that this is incredibly stupid to do in a swing state. Roy Cooper was going to win anyway, but now it’s going to be a literal landslide next year. That anyone thinks these outrageous policies are going to make people vote FOR republicans in NC is delusional. These raids are going to send the first democratic senator from NC in years to congress, and I look forward to wiping out the republican super majorities in our state congress. Support for Gov Stein and AG Jackson is already high, they are not going to cowed by these raids.
The gerrymandering that has kept republicans in charge of the state legislature has apparently lulled the national party to think NC is red. It isn’t. They’ll find out.
I’m in Asheville. ICE hasn’t raided here yet but we are ready and organized to step up and protect our neighbors.
@paintergal No money for FEMA in WNC but plenty of money for ICE to pay a visit.
The only reason NC is purple is because the Republicans have gerrymandered the hell out of our state for years. In spite of this, I hope the tide is turning. I am proud of the way people here have stepped up to protest and help their neighbors. Hopefully ICE will just melt away.
@Silver Birch And they’re trying to gerrymander it even more right now. They want their supermajority back so badly and they’ll just keep cheating to get it.
I really hope Cooper pulls it out. He is definitely our best chance.
I live in Chicago and organizers here trained some in Charlotte. Settle’ in for the long haul because they won’t leave quickly and without destroying as many lives as they can.
I just pray that some day soon, we will see Stephen Miller and these loser evil kidnappers in a Nuremberg style trial.
I watched a video last night about Miller’s wife and she is just as sociopathic as he is. She was so evil that DHS sent her to the Southern border to meet the children who were being locked away to soften her, and she said it didn’t change how she felt. Miller and his wife were attracted to each other’s moral depravity. They are truly, bone-chilliingly evil.
I’m in New Orleans and they are coming as I type. It’s terrible. We’re working to get ready
These ICE thugs may have Fed immunity but there’s no reason why states can’t prosecute them for misconduct like excessive force, unlawful arrest etc. I believe they could also level a civil lawsuit against ICE.,. I know the ACLU has filed one.
My biggest fear is that these assholes will never face any meaningful repercussions for their violence.
They’re such lazy cowards. Always have been. And they clearly love terrorizing people when there’s no danger to themselves. All the strength to NC and great to see the community stepping up but this bullshit shouldn’t be happening in the first place.
I thought I read bovino has family in NC. Did he just want to go home for Thanksgiving?
A LEGAL US citizen was kidnapped by ICE agents yesterday, driven 2 miles when they saw their mistake. They shoved him out of the car and he fell on his hands and knees on the ground and shouted “You have my wallet! I need my wallet?” and an ICE agent dumped everything out of his wallet onto the ground, threw the empty wallet down, and they drove off laughing. He had to walk 2 miles back home. True story from a fellow church member. LEGAL US citizens are now afraid to leave their homes, and ICE agents do not wear any ID and are not accountable to anyone for their racist, bullying, abusive behavior.
I just saw that report right before I popped on here. Absolutely disgusting. Thankfully, they let the guy go at least. Sadly, it could have been so much worse.
As awful and disgusting as this all is, I can’t believe people are watching this happen and are HAPPY about it. There was a woman on the news yesterday and the reporter asked her “is this what you voted for?” and she said “yes this is exactly what I voted for!” Humanity is sick.