Immigration agents spread out across NC, affecting schools, businesses, and institutions around the state

Earlier this month, federal immigration officers mobilized in Charlotte, arresting over 250 people in an effort they’re calling “Operation Charlotte’s Web.” Then, this week, they made their way into the Triangle.

Tuesday, social media exploded with citizen reports and videos of agents apprehending people in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and elsewhere. Neither Immigration and Customs Enforcement nor Customs and Border Protection have released details of how many people they’ve detained or arrested. We also don’t know how many agents are in the Triangle and how long they’ll be here.

Democratic Governor Josh Stein said that the officers’ tactics are undermining public security.

“To the CBP, if you know that we have violent criminals in Charlotte who are undocumented, we want them out, too,” Stein said. “But the actions of too many federal agents are doing the exact opposite in Charlotte. We’ve seen masked, heavily armed agents in paramilitary garb driving unmarked cars, targeting American citizens based on their skin color. Racially profiling and picking up random people in parking lots and off of our sidewalks.”

Meanwhile, the President of UNC Young Republicans and the campus Turning Point USA chapter – Preston Hill – defended the operation.

“Obviously, there’s instances of individuals being accidentally detained, but those individuals, once they figure it out, they’re released and the police, they have to do their jobs, but sometimes they mess up,” Hill said.

Lots of businesses across the Triangle closed their doors this week. Some said their workers had chosen to stay home; others said they wanted to protect their staff. Some businesses that remain open say they are seeing a decline in customers. Business owner Hugo de la Rosa spoke at a Raleigh news conference Thursday.

“My clients aren’t coming to my barbershop because they’re scared of ICE,” de la Rosa said in Spanish. “However, the good side of this is that as Latinos we are united. In my case, I have to pay rent. Now, I don’t know how I’m going to do it because I can’t charge my workers because of this situation.as united Latinos, we will go where we need to go. See how we can figure out a solution for this situation because this is extremely difficult for all of us.”