CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Wednesday that more than 425 people have been arrested during Operation Charlotte’s Web, an effort officials say targets “some of the most dangerous criminal illegal aliens.”
In a statement, a DHS spokesperson said, “The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and federal agencies continue to target some of the most dangerous criminal illegal aliens as Operation Charlotte’s Web progresses. This immigration enforcement surge in the Charlotte area has led to the arrest of over 425 illegal aliens since operations started.”
Concerns from state leaders
North Carolina officials continue to press the federal government for more transparency about the operation. In a Nov. 21 letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Gov. Josh Stein said he was alarmed by what he called the “tactics and conduct” of federal officers in the state.
Stein wrote that while he agrees that people in the country unlawfully who commit violent crimes “must be held accountable and deported,” he believes recent enforcement actions have “recklessly jeopardized public safety and created havoc in our communities.”
He pointed to reports of car windows broken, enforcement occurring near school drop-offs, and people reportedly being racially profiled, adding that “friends, neighbors, and colleagues” were afraid to go about their daily lives.
His letter includes a list of questions for DHS, seeking information on how long the operation will last, where agents plan to operate, and the criminal histories and statuses of those detained.
Calls for answers from Congress
Concerns have also come from Capitol Hill. Rep. Alma Adams (NC-12) sent a letter in late November, demanding information from DHS about the Charlotte operation.
Adams wrote that agents from CBP and ICE have carried out “a campaign of terror,” and she criticized what she called a lack of transparency about who is being detained.
She said the operation has caused widespread fear, with some small businesses temporarily closing and schools reporting unusually high absences in November.
She has asked DHS to provide detailed information by Dec. 5, citing the scale of the operation and calling for “full transparency regarding the status of those detained, the cost of the operation, the policies governing agents’ actions, and the legal authority underpinning this raid.”
DHS pushes back
Federal officials have defended the operation. DHS previously said the initiative has led to the arrests of over “370 illegal aliens,” including individuals convicted of crimes such as domestic violence, assault, burglary, larceny, and driving while intoxicated.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin released this statement in November:
“While the media and sanctuary politicians try and spread falsehoods and demean DHS law enforcement, the men and woman of DHS are risking their lives and safety to arrest illegal criminal aliens that are victimizing Americans,” McLaughlin said. She added that DHS will “continue to do our job and stand up for North Carolinians who live in fear because of violent criminal illegal aliens.”
Despite requests, DHS has not provided a breakdown of how many of the 425 people arrested are facing criminal charges, nor has it released all the names, charges, or locations of detention.