As immigration enforcement expands in North Carolina, New Orleans may be next. Here’s what we know
By Taylor Romine, CNN
(CNN) — Rheba Hamilton was sipping coffee on her porch Saturday morning as she watched the two workers she‘d hired begin draping her front yard tree with lights in the quiet Charlotte, North Carolina, neighborhood.
Suddenly, a gray minivan — doors already ajar — sped to a sharp stop at the corner. Two federal agents emerged and asked the landscapers for their papers. The moment happened in a flash, the agents retreating shortly after Hamilton joined the men on the lawn and started recording.
The abruptness of the incident took Hamilton by surprise, mirroring the shock local officials and residents felt as Charlotte was selected as the latest city in a string of targeted immigration actions this year. Here is where things stand as immigration operations spread across the state, and possibly, into New Orleans next month:
DHS arrests more than 200 people in Charlotte
Over 200 people have been arrested in immigration raids in Charlotte over the last three days, the Department of Homeland Security said in an update Tuesday.
On Monday, DHS said 44 people of the over 130 people they’d arrested had criminal records, although it was not clear if those records were for charges or convictions. CNN has reached out to the department for updated numbers.
“Criminal records of those arrested include known gang membership, aggravated assault, possession of a dangerous weapon, felony larceny, simple assault, hit and run, possession of stolen goods, shoplifting, DUI, DWI, and illegal re-entry after prior deportation, a felony,” a Tuesday DHS statement said.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday the Charlotte operation was based on previous investigative work, specifically citing “a high number of child abuse, trafficking, neglect type of instances that we had identified over our work there.”
Two men were also federally charged in Charlotte for allegedly using their vehicles in separate incidents to assault federal officers who were conducting immigration enforcement, the US Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina announced Tuesday. The charges don’t stem from protests in the area, the US attorney said.
Immigration enforcement extends to more southern cities
While the spotlight has been focused on North Carolina’s most populated city, immigration enforcement action has started to spread to other areas of the state, and is expected to reach New Orleans within weeks.
Gregory Bovino, the top Border Patrol official charged with the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, is expected to arrive in New Orleans the first week of December, according to two sources familiar with the planning. President Donald Trump has previously floated New Orleans as a destination for his federal crackdown, saying in an Oval Office meeting this year that the administration was “making a determination.”
As immigration enforcement is expected to spread further throughout the South, Customs and Border Protection agents were seen in Wake and Durham counties in North Carolina Tuesday, Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell said during a City Council meeting. The counties are home to Raleigh and Durham, two of the state’s other major cities.
“We are just encouraging everyone, if you feel unsafe or you see something that you think is illegal, to please call the Raleigh Police Department or your local jurisdiction and to stay safe,” Cowell said.
Residents of Cary, North Carolina, have also reported seeing federal agents at hospitals, restaurants and construction sites, Mayor Harold Weinbrecht told CNN.
Protesters gathered at Moore Square in downtown Raleigh Tuesday night, holding American flags and signs printed with slogans like “No fear no hate, no ICE in our state” and “Respect due process,” aerial footage from CNN affiliate WRAL shows.
Charlotte community takes some tips from Chicago
While the targeted immigration raids were unexpected to many of those in the Charlotte community, they were ready to meet the moment.
People throughout Charlotte were seen Monday using many of the tactics employed in Chicago — including watching for raids, blowing warning whistles and carrying signs advising people of their rights.
Their vigilance comes as many businesses across the city have closed their doors, fearing their customers will be a target. About half the mom-and-pop businesses the community development organization CharlotteEast works with have closed their doors at some point, despite all of them being US citizens, Executive Director Greg Asciutto said Tuesday.
“From strictly an economic standpoint, it’s pretty catastrophic right now,” Asciutto said, comparing current closures to the first week of the coronavirus pandemic in the area.
A Colombian bakery open for 28 years closed its doors Saturday after men in tactical gear chased and tackled people outside the shop, he told CNN. A program for immigrant and refugee children was also suspended until further notice Monday after Border Patrol was active at their site.
A local laundromat is taking a different approach, with the owner locking their doors while customers are inside in an attempt to keep them safe.
“People are just here peacefully trying to do their laundry, trying to do their chores and daily activities,” said owner David Rebolloso. “I know these folks as my customers, and I’m familiar with their stories, and I know them, and I’m pretty certain they’re not … criminals. They’re only here to make a living and try to get by.”
About 20% of students absent from Charlotte-area schools Monday
More than 30,000 students were absent from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools on Monday, about 20% of the district’s enrollment. CNN has reached out to the district to see how attendance was affected Tuesday.
The district issued a statement Sunday night that no immigration activity had happened on their campuses and that leaders hadn’t been informed of impending action. There were no reports of immigration enforcement on their campuses on Monday or Tuesday.
“CMS follows all federal and state laws protecting students’ right to a public education. The U.S. Supreme Court guarantees that all children, regardless of immigration status, have the right to attend public school,” CMS Assistant Communications Officer Tom Miner said in a statement to school district families.
High school students in the district staged a walkout Tuesday morning to protest immigration enforcement in the city. Several hundred students gathered around the edge of a football field at East Mecklenburg High School, many wearing black and holding flags, an aerial Getty photo of the demonstration showed.
North Carolina governor and local leaders denounce the raids
Many Democratic leaders across North Carolina have denounced the raids.
“We’ve reached out to the White House,” North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said Tuesday. “We haven’t gotten any word. We’re not hearing directly from Customs and Border Patrol, so we don’t know for sure where they’re going, how long they’ll be here, where else they’re going.”
Stein went on to criticize the tactics used by federal agents, saying they are “not promoting safety in our communities.”
In the county where Charlotte is located, the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday to affirm constitutional protections and express support for the immigrant community.
“This is not an issue of policy. This is an issue of morality,” Chair Mark Jerrell said. “It’s immoral to profile, to tear families apart. It’s not right to have people living in fear … This board declared tonight that we don’t condone it. We won’t stand for it.”
While the governor and local leaders vocally oppose the federal action, North Carolina’s Republican Party praised the immigration enforcement operation, saying “the need is real.”
Though some people are overwhelmed with the intensity of the moment, Council member LaWana Mayfield said during a city council committee meeting Monday that this moment is “an opportunity to show up for each other.”
“Get to know your neighbors, get their phone numbers, go to their back door, bring them over to your house so the children can feel safe, let the kids play together, because they don’t need to be going through all of this,” Mayfield said.
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CNN’s Dianne Gallagher, Devon Sayers, Cindy Von Quednow, Michelle Watson, Chris Boyette, Rebekah Riess, Alisha Ebrahimji, Priscilla Alvarez, Hanna Park, Andy Rose and Zoe Sottile contributed to this report.
