North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein on Nov. 16 criticized U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, who had carried out a weekend enforcement sweep across Charlotte and surrounding suburbs.
“To the CBP: If you know that we have violent criminals in Charlotte who are undocumented, we want them out too,” Stein, a Democrat, said in a video posted on X. “Everyone wants to be safe in their communities. But the actions of too many federal agents are doing the exact opposite in Charlotte.”
He said masked officers in unmarked cars were stopping American citizens based on their skin color and picking up people at random on sidewalks or in parking lots. Stein pointed to reports of officers confronting landscapers putting up a Christmas tree and entering churches and stores “to grab people.”
“This is not making us safer,” he added. “It’s stoking fear and dividing our community.”
Stein urged Congress to address what he called a broken immigration system, saying he supports stronger borders, deporting those who commit serious crimes, and offering a path to legal status for longtime residents who “followed the rules.”
“North Carolina, I know this is a stressful moment, but please stay peaceful,” he added. “If you see something wrong, record it and report it to local law enforcement.”
The Charlotte Observer reported that federal agents detained people in Charlotte, Pineville, and Matthews throughout the weekend. Restaurant manager Adam Maaroufi told the outlet he saw agents stop five or six men walking through a nearby Walmart parking lot and question them about their immigration status.
“It looks like they just walked up to them and said, ‘Hey, you,’” Maaroufi said, adding that he thought the officers might approach him as well.
Agents made more than 80 arrests during the operation, dubbed “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” according to a senior Border Patrol commander cited by WCNC Charlotte. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino highlighted several detentions on social media, sharing photos of detainees with alleged criminal records.
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