CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — Federal immigration enforcement operations over the weekend led to multiple detentions in Charlotte, alarming local residents and officials. U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed Saturday that agents conducted targeted arrests across South Boulevard and Central Avenue, part of an unannounced federal initiative to remove individuals deemed public safety threats.
Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended the effort, saying it aimed to ensure “Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed.” However, local officials, including Mayor Vi Lyles and County Commissioner Mark Jerrell, criticized the unannounced actions as “causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty.”
Witnesses reported masked agents detaining people at multiple sites. Honduran-born U.S. citizen Willy Aceituno said he was pulled from his vehicle, handcuffed, and later released after proving his citizenship. “They didn’t believe I was American,” he told the Associated Press.
Community organizations such as Camino reported a spike in stops since Friday, while some small businesses in east Charlotte temporarily closed. Democratic Gov. Josh Stein urged residents to report any “inappropriate behavior” by agents, noting that most detainees lacked criminal convictions.
The operation followed the fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte light-rail train, a case cited by Trump administration officials to justify increased enforcement. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department emphasized it played no role in the federal operation.
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