Lead: Federal immigration authorities will broaden enforcement operations in North Carolina to include Raleigh as soon as Tuesday, Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell said Monday, after a weekend sweep in Charlotte that led to more than 130 arrests. Customs and Border Protection officers remain active in Charlotte following the operation, which officials say targeted people with immigration violations and alleged criminal records. City leaders and state officials voiced strong objections even as federal authorities cite sanctuary policies and unmet detainer requests as justification.
Key takeaways
- Federal agents arrested more than 130 people in Charlotte over the weekend, according to a DHS statement released Monday.
- Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell announced the operation will expand to the state capital “as soon as Tuesday,” though she did not disclose the expected scale or duration.
- Charlotte is a city of about 950,000 residents and officials say it includes roughly 150,000 foreign-born people.
- DHS cited sanctuary-style policies and about 1,400 detainers in North Carolina that were not honored since October 2020 as part of its rationale.
- State and local leaders, including Gov. Josh Stein and Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, criticized the tactics used and warned of community fear and division.
- The Department of Homeland Security said records for those arrested included allegations ranging from gang membership to aggravated assault, but it did not specify conviction counts.
- Political leaders from both parties framed the operation within broader national immigration crackdowns in large U.S. cities, with differing interpretations of motive and effect.
Background
The federal surge follows earlier enforcement activity in Los Angeles and Chicago, where the administration said it was targeting places with policies limiting local cooperation with immigration authorities. In North Carolina, federal officials pointed to so-called sanctuary policies and past lapses honoring detainer requests as a reason for a stepped-up presence. For several years Mecklenburg County and some other local jurisdictions had resisted fully complying with detainer requests, a dispute that became a focus of state-level legislation and legal pressure.
In late 2024 and early 2025, the state legislature passed measures tightening rules about honoring federal detainers; a veto by then-Gov. Roy Cooper was overridden, and local sheriffs faced new statutory requirements. County jails across the state have historically varied in how they handle ICE requests. DHS has said roughly 1,400 detainer requests in North Carolina were not honored since October 2020, a statistic the department uses to justify intervention.
Main event
Over the weekend, federal officers carried out a series of arrests in Charlotte. DHS officials said Border Patrol agents rounded up more than 130 people alleged to be in violation of federal immigration laws, and the agency noted records it tied to some arrestees that included allegations such as gang ties and violent offenses. The agency did not provide a public breakdown of how many arrests were tied to convictions versus pending charges.
Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell said Monday that she was told federal activity would shift to the capital “as soon as Tuesday,” but she added she had no details on how many agents would be involved or how long they would operate in the city. Cowell emphasized that public safety and preserving community values were priorities for her and the city council, urging residents to remain peaceful and respectful amid the operations.
Local and state officials in Charlotte pushed back sharply against the tactics used in the sweep. Gov. Josh Stein described footage of heavily armed agents as alarming and said the approach risked stoking fear and dividing communities. Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said she was deeply concerned about videos circulating from the operation and thanked protesters for remaining peaceful.
Analysis & implications
The federal push into North Carolina illustrates how immigration enforcement has become both a law-enforcement and a political tool. Officials in Washington frame such operations as responses to public-safety threats and to jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal authorities. Local leaders and civil-rights advocates counter that uncoordinated raids can undermine trust with immigrant communities and deter cooperation with local police.
In practical terms, the immediate effect can be twofold: an increase in detentions and hearings for those arrested, and heightened anxiety among immigrant communities that may reduce reporting of crimes or participation in public life. The long-term legal consequences will likely include litigation over detention practices, local compliance with state laws, and the evidentiary basis for arrests tied to prior noncriminal administrative immigration violations.
Politically, the move sends signals to multiple audiences. For the White House, operations in politically mixed or less overtly oppositional jurisdictions may offer a high-visibility demonstration of enforcement without the intense clashes seen in larger Democratic-run cities. For state and local officials, especially those seeking to maintain working relationships across partisan lines, the raids add a layer of tension with federal authorities and can become a focal point in state campaigns and council politics.
Comparison & data
| Item | Figure cited |
|---|---|
| Arrests in Charlotte (weekend sweep) | >130 people |
| Charlotte population (approx.) | 950,000 |
| Foreign-born residents in Charlotte (approx.) | 150,000 |
| Detainer requests not honored across North Carolina since Oct 2020 | ~1,400 |
The table summarizes public figures cited by officials and local reporting. DHS has emphasized the detainer shortfall as a statewide metric for its intervention; local leaders point out that the raw detainer number does not indicate how many of those subjects were charged with or convicted of violent crimes. That distinction matters for court challenges and public evaluation of the operation’s stated aims.
Reactions & quotes
“We’ve seen masked, heavily armed agents in paramilitary garb driving unmarked cars, targeting American citizens based on their skin color,”
Gov. Josh Stein (video statement)
Gov. Stein used strong language to criticize tactics he said were creating fear and division in communities, urging restraint and coordination with state and local authorities.
“To everyone in Charlotte who is feeling anxious or fearful: You are not alone. Your city stands with you,”
Mayor Vi Lyles
Mayor Lyles expressed concern about videos of the operation and urged solidarity with residents who feel intimidated by the presence of heavily armed federal agents.
“Border Patrol officers arrested over 130 illegal aliens who have all broken” immigration laws,
Homeland Security official (DHS statement)
DHS framed the operation as enforcement against people with immigration violations and cited criminal records among those arrested, while not providing a public accounting of convictions versus charges in court.
Unconfirmed
- The exact number of federal agents and the precise duration of the planned Raleigh operation were not disclosed and remain unconfirmed.
- DHS cited alleged criminal records among those arrested, but the number of arrests that correspond to convictions versus arrests with pending charges was not specified publicly.
- The full operational timeline and whether arrests in Raleigh will mirror tactics used in Charlotte (locations, times, unit types) have not been independently verified.
Bottom line
The expansion of federal immigration enforcement into Raleigh after a high-profile sweep in Charlotte sharpens a national debate about the balance between immigration enforcement and community trust. Federal authorities stress the need to enforce immigration laws and point to unhonored detainers as a rationale; local officials warn that aggressive tactics risk alienating immigrant communities and eroding public safety cooperation.
In the short term, communities will be watching for clarity about the scope and legal basis of operations, the treatment of those detained, and coordination (or lack thereof) between federal and local agencies. Over the medium term, expect litigation, political fallout in state and local races, and renewed scrutiny of how detainer policies and state laws intersect with federal enforcement priorities.