The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Saturday that it has initiated immigration enforcement operations in Charlotte, N.C. “Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens hurting them, their families, or their neighbors,” Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement, The Associated Press reported.
“We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed,” she added.
Local officials, including Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles (D), criticized the federal action in a joint statement, saying the operations “are causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty.”
“We want people in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County to know we stand with all residents who simply want to go about their lives,” the statement said, also signed by County Commissioner Mark Jerrell and Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board member Stephanie Sneed.
Federal authorities had not previously announced the enforcement activity in Charlotte. However, Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden said Thursday that he had been informed by two federal officials that U.S. Customs and Border Patrol personnel would be arriving in the area either Saturday or early next week, Just the News reported.
“We value and welcome the renewed collaboration and open communication with our federal partners,” McFadden said in a statement. “It allows us to stay informed and be proactive in keeping Mecklenburg County safe and to maintain the level of trust our community deserves.”
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said ahead of the federal activity that it is not participating in the immigration enforcement operations.
Charlotte, a city of more than 900,000 residents, includes over 150,000 foreign-born individuals, according to local officials.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) said Friday that most of the people detained in the recent federal operations do not have criminal convictions, and some are U.S. citizens. He encouraged residents to document any “inappropriate behavior” they witness and report it to local law enforcement.
