FILE-Federal immigration agents arrest a man in the parking lot of an H-Mart grocery store on October 31, 2025, in Niles, Illinois. (Photo by Jamie Kelter Davis/Getty Images)
Charlotte is the latest city preparing for the possible deployment of immigration agents to the area as part of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement.
President Donald Trump has sent military and immigration officers into cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. claiming that the operations are necessary to fight crime and execute his mass deportation policies.
Charlotte authorities’ statement
The other side:
In a statement obtained by the Associated Press, Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden said that two federal officials confirmed a plan for U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents to start an enforcement operation Saturday or early next week in Charlotte.
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The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department also clarified to the AP that it "has no authority to enforce federal immigration laws," and is not involved in planning or conducting these operations.
Charlotte is home to over 150,000 foreign-born people, with a population of about 40% white, 33% Black, 16% Hispanic and 7% Asian, the AP noted.
Local groups bracing for potential enforcement in city
Local perspective:
Various activists, faith leaders, and local officials are beginning to prepare the Charlotte immigrant community for a crackdown, with groups providing information about resources. The Associated Press reported that almost 500 people participated in a call organized by the group CharlotteEAST.
Another group, Indivisible Charlotte and the Carolina Migrant Network, are planning to train volunteers on Friday on the rights individuals have when interacting with immigration agents and how to identify them.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Associated Press, which cites comments from Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.