Schools throughout North Carolina experienced a significant surge in student absences on Tuesday, coinciding with an intensified immigration enforcement effort initiated by federal agents over the weekend.

On Tuesday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools reported 25,697 student absences, with more than 23,000 of these being unexcused. Although this number is high, it reflects a decrease from Monday’s total of 30,399 absences.

In Wake County Public Schools, which covers the state capital of Raleigh, 19,471 students were absent on Tuesday, accounting for over 10% of the student population.

This wave of absences aligns with ongoing immigration enforcement actions in Charlotte, North Carolina’s largest city, which extended to Raleigh on Tuesday. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Wednesday that “Operation Charlotte’s Web” has led to 250 arrests.

According to the department, the operation is targeting “some of the most dangerous criminal illegal aliens.” However, details about those apprehended remain sparse, and the department has not disclosed the full extent of the operations or future locations, leaving communities in a state of uncertainty.

In addition to an increase in school absences, some small shops and restaurants in both Charlotte and Raleigh have also closed to avoid confrontations between customers and federal agents.

The high absences began on Monday, when Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools logged more than twice the number typically recorded on recent school days. For comparison, the district reported 12,854 absences on the Friday before and numbers between 9,700 and 12,800 throughout the previous week.

With more than 44,000 Hispanic-identifying students enrolled in district schools, some families and community advocates have voiced concerns about how immigration enforcement activity may be affecting student attendance.

Wake County School officials have confirmed there were no immigrant enforcement activities at any of their campuses.

Parents spoke out at a district meeting Tuesday, urging the leaders to take steps to ensure all students are kept safe. “We want our families to know that the safety, privacy and right to a sound education is guaranteed in this district for every student,” Superintendent Robert Taylor responded.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.