WASHINGTON: Federal authorities conducted raids on Saturday in the banking hub of Charlotte, North Carolina, the Department of Homeland Security said, expanding its crackdown on illegal immigration to the US South.
“We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “There have been too many victims of criminal illegal aliens.” DHS, which oversees US Customs and Border Protection, did not provide details on the operation, including how many law enforcement officers took part or the number of people detained.
But the agency blamed North Carolina officials, saying their refusal to detain suspects sought by immigration authorities led to Saturday’s operation.
DHS said North Carolina has not honored almost 1,400 “detainers” — requests by immigration officials to hold suspects for up to 48 hours beyond the time they would ordinarily be released.
The North Carolina governor’s office and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, a Democrat, and city commissioners on Saturday urged people to seek help, including from the Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Police Department, which is not participating in the federal raids.
“There are a number of organizations standing ready to assist individuals seeking legal guidance on immigration matters,” the city officials said in a statement.
The raids caused fear and uncertainty in Charlotte because similar operations in other cities resulted in people without criminal records being detained, they said.
Local leaders earlier this week said they were informed that a CBP operation would start on Saturday. US Representative Alma Adams, a Democrat, said on Thursday she was “extremely concerned” about Border Patrol and ICE personnel coming to Charlotte.
“Charlotte’s immigrant community is a proud part of the Queen City, and I will not stand by and watch my constituents be intimidated or harassed,” Adams posted on X.
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