Federal immigration authorities are wrapping up their enforcement operation in Charlotte, North Carolina, nearly a week after agents arrived in the city, according to Department of Homeland Security officials who spoke to NBC News. The operation, known internally as "Charlotte's Web," led to the arrest of more than 250 people suspected of being in the country illegally. The presence of Border Patrol agents sparked anxiety among Charlotte's immigrant community, with some families going into hiding and small businesses temporarily closing their doors out of fear of raids.
"We've received reliable information that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel associated with 'Operation Charlotte's Web' have departed from the Charlotte area as of this morning," the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a post on X Thursday. The officials who spoke to NBC, however, said Border Patrol agents might return at a later date to continue the crackdown. The federal push expanded to Raleigh on Tuesday, but in a post on X Wednesday night, Janey Cowell, mayor of the state capital, said Border Patrol enforcement "appears to have been suspended," the AP reports.
The Charlotte operation met with significant pushback from residents, with around 100 protesters gathering outside a Home Depot on Wednesday. Residents tracked federal agents and blew whistles to alert people to their presence. The Charlotte Observer reports that nightly protests in east Charlotte had "the feel of a car parade and Latin street festival."
The officials who spoke to NBC said preparations are underway to shift resources to New Orleans for the agency's next large-scale effort. "Swamp Sweep" will target Louisiana and Mississippi, with an eventual goal of arresting 5,000 undocumented immigrants. Documents obtained by the AP indicate the operation could kick off as soon as Friday.
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