President Donald Trump’s administration is ramping up immigration enforcement, targeting Democratic-led cities like Charlotte.
North Carolina authorities announced that federal immigration enforcement in the city of Charlotte has eased, ending five days of immigration raids and protests.
On Thursday, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said it appears the U.S. Border Patrol has ended its crackdown on the Democratic-led city.
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“It appears that the U.S. Border Patrol has ceased operations in Charlotte. I am relieved for our community and residents, businesses, and all those targeted and impacted by this intrusion,” she wrote on social media.
“If we are to move forward, it is essential that we come together as one community in Charlotte, not as separate groups divided by recent events.”
The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office also said federal authorities assured Sheriff Garry McFadden that “Operation Charlotte’s Web” has ended and there will be no further operations Thursday.
“It is important to clarify that although Operation Charlotte’s Web has ended, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues to operate in Mecklenburg County as always,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
“ICE maintains full authority to detain, arrest, and detain illegal immigrants in accordance with federal law.”
The operation began on November 15, when President Donald Trump’s administration announced a “surge of resources” to Charlotte.
They justified the surge by accusing local authorities of adopting a “sanctuary” policy that allows illegal immigrants to “roam freely on America’s streets.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced in an update Wednesday that it had made more than 250 arrests as of Tuesday night.
During the operation, immigration efforts expanded to the state capital, Raleigh, and surrounding areas.
But Operation Charlotte’s Web faced fierce opposition from residents of Charlotte, the state’s largest city and hub for high-tech business. More than 911,300 people call Charlotte home.
For example, hundreds of protesters gathered outside stores like Manolo’s Bakery, which temporarily closed to protect employees and customers from being targeted. Another protest took place outside a hardware store where Border Patrol agents had gathered.
Students at East Mecklenburg High School, Northwest School of the Arts and other schools also went on strike in solidarity with immigrant communities.
Local media reported a nearly 15% drop in school attendance on Monday, but it was unclear how many of the absences were due to protests, concerns about immigration activity, or seasonal trends such as the flu.
The surge in immigration operations in the Charlotte area has also raised concerns about human rights abuses, with local residents recording scenes of people having their car windows smashed and people being slammed to the ground and bleeding.
As a surge in federal immigration operations subsides in Charlotte, another southern city, New Orleans, is expecting a new wave of border enforcement activity. This operation is called “Operation Swamp Clearance.”
Other Democratic-led cities are also facing increased immigration enforcement, raising concerns about the tactics being used and whether human rights are being protected.
These cities include Los Angeles, Chicago, Memphis, and Washington DC.
The number of immigration detainees reached a record high of 60,000 in August as Republican President Donald Trump waged a campaign of mass deportations across the United States.
