US Border Patrol arrests 81 in Charlotte immigration crackdown
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At least 81 people were arrested in Charlotte, North Carolina as the US Border Patrol launched a mass immigration crackdown, drawing criticism from rights groups and local officials.
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People protest against federal immigration enforcement Saturday, November 15, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)
At least 81 people were arrested in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday during a large-scale immigration crackdown by the US Border Patrol, officials confirmed Sunday. The arrests mark a sharp escalation in the Trump administration’s ongoing mass deportation campaign.
Gregory Bovino, a senior US Border Patrol official who previously led enforcement operations in Los Angeles and Chicago, said on social media that agents conducted the arrests within a five-hour span. He noted that many of those detained had “significant criminal and immigration history.”
Saturday marked the first day of the Border Patrol’s operations in Charlotte.
Read more: Trump immigration crackdown lost US over 1 million workers
Criticism mounts over tactics, racial profiling allegations
The immigration crackdown has drawn sharp criticism from civil rights groups and residents. Advocates note that law-abiding citizens are being caught up in raids and subjected to racial profiling by agents operating in unmarked vehicles.
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein condemned the raids in a statement posted Sunday night. “Undocumented and violent criminals should be deported,” he said, “but the actions of too many federal agents are doing the exact opposite in Charlotte.”
Stein described scenes of masked agents in paramilitary gear targeting individuals in parking lots and on sidewalks. “They’re going after landscapers decorating Christmas trees, entering churches and stores to grab people,” he said. “This is not making us safer. It’s stoking fear and dividing our community.”
Local officials say the raids are further straining community trust in law enforcement and spreading panic among immigrant communities in Charlotte and surrounding areas.
Read more: Supreme Court lets Trump resume ICE raids in Southern California
DHS cites lack of local cooperation on detainer requests
DHS officials said the operation in Charlotte was a response to the city’s refusal to honor nearly 1,400 immigration detainer requests. These requests ask local law enforcement to hold individuals for up to 48 hours beyond their scheduled release so that immigration agents can take custody.
Charlotte’s local officials had previously said they would not honor detainer requests without a judicial warrant, citing legal concerns and community safety priorities.
The Charlotte immigration crackdown is part of a broader national campaign under US President Donald Trump’s administration, which has emphasized strict enforcement of immigration laws and expanded deportation operations in both Democratic-led cities and conservative regions.
