Federal immigration enforcement was thrust into the spotlight in Charlotte over the weekend, with residents encountering an intensified presence of Border Patrol agents in various locales around the city. Reports from the community indicated these encounters took place near churches, residential areas, and shopping centers, raising concerns among local citizens.

At the heart of this initiative is Gregory Bovino, a senior Border Patrol commander noted for orchestrating similar operations in cities like Chicago. Bovino proudly announced on social media platform X that the latest enforcement efforts in Charlotte resulted in over 80 arrests. Accompanying his posts was a selectively edited video showcasing officers in action, arresting individuals.

“From border towns to the Queen City, our agents go where the mission calls,” Bovino declared, emphasizing the reach and determination of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency as it targets Charlotte, often affectionately known as the Queen City. The operation, humorously named “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” nods to a well-known children’s book, though it bears no connection to North Carolina.

This increased federal presence in the city, home to approximately 950,000 residents, has been part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration to intensify immigration enforcement in urban centers, primarily those governed by Democrats. Local leaders have expressed strong opposition to these measures, particularly as crime rates in Charlotte have been on a downward trend, contradicting the federal narrative that links immigration enforcement directly to crime reduction.

The effort was dubbed “Operation Charlotte’s Web” as a play on the title of a famous children’s book that isn’t about North Carolina.

Some welcomed the intervention, including Mecklenburg County Republican Party Chairman Kyle Kirby, who said in a post Saturday that the county GOP “stands with the rule of law — and with every Charlottean’s safety first.”

Fear and many questions

The flurry of activity prompted fear and questions, including where detainees would be held, how long the operation would last and what agents’ tactics — criticized elsewhere as aggressive and racist — would look like in North Carolina. On Saturday, at least one U.S. citizen said he was thrown to the ground and briefly detained.

At Camino, a nonprofit group that offers services to Latino communities, some said they were too afraid to leave their homes to attend school, medical appointments or work. A dental clinic the group runs had nine cancellations on Friday, spokesperson Paola Garcia said.

“Latinos love this country. They came here to escape socialism and communism, and they’re hard workers and people of faith,” Garcia said. “They love their family, and it’s just so sad to see that this community now has this target on their back.”

Bovino’s operations in Chicago and Los Angeles triggered lawsuits over the use of force, including widespread deployment of chemical agents. Democratic leaders in both cities accused agents of inflaming community tensions. Federal agents fatally shot one suburban Chicago man during a traffic stop.

Bovino, head of a Border Patrol sector in El Centro, California, and other Trump administration officials have called their tactics appropriate for growing threats on agents.

Bovino posted pictures Sunday of people the Trump administration commonly dubs “criminal illegal aliens,” meaning people living in the U.S. without legal permission who allegedly have criminal records. That included one of a man with an alleged history of drunk driving convictions.

“We arrested him, taking him off the streets of Charlotte so he can’t continue to ignore our laws and drive intoxicated on the same roads you and your loved ones are on,” Bovino said.

Residents report activity at churches and apartment complexes

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees CBP, did not respond to inquiries about the Charlotte arrests. Bovino’s spokesman did not return a request for comment Sunday.

Elsewhere, DHS has not offered many details about its arrests. In the Chicago area, the agency only provided names and details on a handful of its more than 3,000 arrests in the region from September to last week. U.S. citizens were detained during several operations. Dozens of protesters were arrested.

By Sunday, reports of CBP activity around Charlotte were “overwhelming” and difficult to quantify, Greg Asciutto, executive director of the community development group CharlotteEast, said in an email.

“The past two hours we’ve received countless reports of CBP activity at churches, apartment complexes and a hardware store,” he said.

City council member-elect JD Mazuera Arias said federal agents appeared to be focused on churches and apartment buildings.

“Houses of worship. I mean, that’s just awful,” he said. “These are sanctuaries for people who are looking for hope and faith in dark times like these and who no longer can feel safe because of the gross violation of people’s right to worship.”

DHS says so-called sanctuary policy plays a role in Charlotte operation

Two people were arrested during a small protest Sunday outside a DHS office in Charlotte and taken to a local FBI office, said Xavier T. de Janon, an attorney who was representing them. He said it remained unclear what charges they faced.

DHS said it was focusing on North Carolina because of so-called sanctuary policies, which limit cooperation between local authorities and immigration agents.

Several county jails house immigrant arrestees and honor detainers, which allow jails to hold detainees for immigration officers to pick them up. But Mecklenburg County, where Charlotte is located, does not. Also, the city’s police department does not help with immigration enforcement.

DHS alleged that about 1,400 detainers across North Carolina had not been honored, putting the public at risk.

“We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

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Tareen and Dale reported from Chicago. Witte reported from Annapolis, Maryland.