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Federal agents arrest 130 in Charlotte immigration crackdown
U.S. federal agents detained **130 people** in Charlotte, North Carolina, over two days as part of President Donald Trump's expanded immigration enforcement, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official confirmed Monday. The operation, dubbed Operation Charlotte's Web, has drawn sharp criticism from local leaders, who argue it is sowing fear rather than improving public safety.
Operation details and arrests
According to **Tricia McLaughlin**, DHS assistant secretary, the sweep targeted individuals with criminal records, including **two confirmed gang members**. Arrests also involved convictions for assault on law enforcement, DUI, theft, and document fraud. **Greg Bovino**, a senior border official who previously led a similar crackdown in Chicago, reported that **81 of the 130 arrests occurred in a five-hour span on Saturday**.
DHS stated that a U.S. citizen was apprehended after allegedly ramming a law enforcement vehicle with their car, injuring an officer. On Sunday, the agency released footage of a white van pursuit, claiming the driver-later arrested-had driven at officers
before colliding with police vehicles while attempting to flee.
Local backlash and community response
Charlotte's **Democratic Mayor Vi Lyles** condemned the operation, stating that residents-particularly immigrant communities-feel threatened and destabilized.
I am deeply concerned by the videos circulating,
Lyles said in a public address. To those feeling anxious or afraid: you are not alone. Your city stands with you.
North Carolina's **Democratic Governor Josh Stein** echoed the criticism, describing the tactics as racially motivated. We've seen masked, heavily armed agents in unmarked cars targeting people based on skin color, profiling them in parking lots,
Stein said Sunday. This isn't about safety-it's about instilling fear.
Protests erupted Saturday as residents marched against the Trump administration's policies. Some migrants reportedly avoided leaving their homes, a pattern observed in other cities during heightened enforcement.
Broader context and unresolved questions
The Charlotte operation mirrors ongoing crackdowns in larger cities like **Los Angeles and Chicago**, where similar sweeps began in September and remain active. While DHS has not specified a timeline for the Charlotte raids, officials note a **decline in illegal border crossings** nationwide, attributed in part to the aggressive enforcement strategy.
Critics, however, argue the operations disproportionately affect communities of color and fail to distinguish between serious criminals and undocumented residents with no criminal history. The agency has not released data on how many of those detained had prior convictions versus administrative violations.
Operation's namesake draws scrutiny
The name Operation Charlotte's Web-a reference to the classic children's book about a spider saving a pig-has sparked controversy. Bovino, who has publicly shared updates on social media, has not clarified the symbolic intent behind the title.
