Border Patrol agents arrests 81 people on first day of Charlotte operation

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On the first day of a new immigration enforcement initiative in Charlotte, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents took 81 people into custody, according to the commander directing the mission.

The effort—informally referred to by officials as “Charlotte’s Web”—launched early Saturday. The first known activity occurred along South Boulevard, close to the Baleada Bar and Grill. Commander Gregory K. Bovino said that the majority of individuals detained during the initial sweep had what he described as notable criminal records or prior immigration violations. He emphasized that these arrests removed people from the streets whom the agency considers high-risk and noted that further specifics about those detained would later be shared through CBP’s social media channels.

By Sunday morning, agents had resumed taking people into custody. Bovino posted about several additional arrests on his X account, stating each of those individuals also had criminal histories. In his messages, he argued that the continued presence of CBP officers in Charlotte was intended to protect public safety. One of his posts pointed to a repeat violent offender encountered while shopping, using that example to justify why, in his view, strict border and immigration enforcement is necessary.

Charlotte is the first city where CBP says it is independently leading an immigration enforcement operation withoutcoordinating on-site with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE has previously made arrests in the city, but it was not jointly involved in Saturday’s sweep.

Throughout the weekend, Border Patrol personnel were seen stationed across various parts of the city—including along South Boulevard, Central Avenue, and Albemarle Road—where they operated near local businesses and busy intersections with vans and SUVs.

Their arrival immediately sparked pushback from many local residents. On Saturday afternoon, hundreds gathered at First Ward Park in Uptown to protest the enforcement effort. The crowd grew considerably around mid-afternoon, with speakers denouncing the operation and accusing it of fostering fear within Charlotte’s immigrant communities. Attendees held signs—some in Spanish, some in English—expressing their alarm and opposition.

Asha Patel, a community organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, spoke with WCNC Charlotte about her frustration. She said demonstrators wanted to make it clear that they reject CBP’s presence and demand that agents leave Charlotte immediately. Patel also claimed that a previous CBP initiative in Chicago ended after widespread community resistance and said she hopes Charlotte’s protests will produce a similar result.

So far, the agency has not provided a detailed explanation of the scope of the operation, nor has it announced how long CBP intends to remain active in the city.

Source: WCNC