Federal agents deployed to Charlotte for immigration enforcement, despite rejections from local leaders
A surge of federal agents arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday to take part in immigration arrests despite protests from the mayor and other local officials.
Eyewitnesses filmed and photographed several incidents where masked agents arrested residents. Paula Walker Coleman filmed one of the incidents at a parking lot and told ABC News she witnessed agents arrest another woman who was filming.
"She was close to their car recording and her hand hit their car while recording so they jumped out the vehicle. That’s why she was saying her hand was shaking and that’s what made her touch their car," Coleman told ABC News.
The Border Patrol operations, led by U.S. Customs and Border Protection commander-at-large Greg Bovino and dubbed "Operation Charlotte Web," have not yet had any major clashes with local police or people in Charlotte," sources told ABC News.
"We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed. There have been too many victims of criminal illegal aliens and President [Donald] Trump and Secretary [Kristi] Noem will step up to protect Americans when sanctuary politicians won’t," a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement.
Willy Aceituno, a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Honduras, told The Associated Press he was forcibly taken into a Border Patrol vehicle and only released after showing his citizenship documents. Aceituno, who works in the Charlotte area, said he had been stopped twice by Border Patrol on Saturday, and agents smashed one of his car windows.
As word of the surge increased during the week, North Carolina officials dismissed arguments by the Trump administration that an increased federal presence was needed.
"We should all focus on arresting violent criminals and drug traffickers. Unfortunately, that's not always what we've seen with ICE and Border Patrol Agents in Chicago and elsewhere in the country," North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, said in a statement Friday.
Stein encouraged North Carolinians to record any "inappropriate behavior" and follow the law.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, also a Democrat, released a joint statement Saturday with Mark Jerrell, the chair of the city's Board of County Commissioners, and Stephanie Sneed, the chair of the local board of education, where they expressed support for their constituents.
"It is critical for all residents to feel secure in our community and know they can live their lives without being fearful while walking down the street, going to school, work or the grocery store," they said.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) said in a statement on Friday that it is not involved in any planning by the federal agents.
"CMPD officers are not authorized to assist with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) administrative warrants, which are civil in nature and not criminal," the department said.
The North Carolina city of Asheville is also on alert for ICE-related activity in its city, Mayor Esther Manheimer said in a statement Saturday.
"We have learned that Asheville may be a targeted city," she said. "We believe every person, regardless of immigration status, should feel safe in the community they call home.”
