(NewsNation) — Immigration officials have arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina, the latest city to unwillingly receive federal agents in President Donald Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown.
The federal government did not provide a full explanation for the operation, dubbed “Charlotte’s Web,” or how many people have been detained, but DHS blamed the move on state officials, saying illegal immigrants fled to the Democratic-led city because of so-called “sanctuary” policies they believed would protect them.
A DHS news release included a list of migrants the agency called “the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens,” who they say were released onto North Carolina streets because of those policies.
The department did not link the operation to any single event, though the fatal stabbing of a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee on Charlotte’s light rail train brought heightened national attention to the city in recent months. The suspect in that stabbing is American.
“When you have fentanyl being trafficked in cities, when you have Charlotte, North Carolina, a hub of human trafficking, what better tool to put on the ground than the people who are tasked with federal law enforcement in doing exactly what they’re doing,” Republican Chairman Addul Ali, who represents North Carolina’s 12th congressional district, told NewsNation on Saturday.
DHS did not specify how long the operation is expected to last, but it comes as federal agents are withdrawing from Chicago.
Across the city this weekend, the mood has shifted from confusion to fear. City and county leaders have called the raids unnecessary, arguing they’re creating panic, not promoting safety.
A Honduran-born U.S. citizen was pulled from his vehicle by agents after they smashed his window. He was later released without charges.
Immigrant-owned stores shut down, streets were quiet and people avoided daily tasks out of fear they could be targeted.
Local leadership in the region issued a joint statement saying the operations were “causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty in our community,” citing similar actions in other states that led to what they said were people without criminal records being detained and violent protests.
DHS issued a statement saying there have been too many victims of “illegal aliens” and that the Charlotte initiative is meant to “ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed.”