Immigration attorney LaToya McBean-Pompy captured the mood in Charlotte with a single pointed question: “What are they doing there in Charlotte, North Carolina?”
Her alarm follows a weekend sweep in which Border Patrol agents arrested 81 people across the city—an aggressive escalation that residents say feels like a sudden federal occupation.
In a video posted on Instagram, McBean-Pompy said agents “pulled people from their cars, chased folks, [and] detained folks,” describing the raids as chaotic and deeply unsettling for immigrants and U.S. citizens alike. She noted one especially troubling incident where a Honduran-born U.S. citizen shouted, “I’m a U.S. citizen!” as agents smashed his window and handcuffed him.
The raids—dubbed Operation Charlotte’s Web by the Department of Homeland Security—represent one of the largest single-day immigration arrests in North Carolina’s history. And they didn’t just unfold in hidden corners of the city; agents were seen outside churches, near busy shopping areas, and around apartment complexes.
“This is Charlotte,” McBean-Pompy stressed. “This is not New York City or Chicago. This is a small city.”
She said some local businesses, including a neighborhood bakery, shut down out of fear as agents flooded the streets.
Federal officials insist the operation targets people who pose public safety risks. But the city’s own numbers complicate that narrative—violent crime in Charlotte is down 20% from last year, and overall crime has dropped 8%.
The raids stem in part from what DHS says are nearly 1,400 detainer requests that Mecklenburg County did not honor, preventing federal agents from picking up individuals after local arrests. Sheriff Garry McFadden responded that he’s willing to coordinate, but federal agents must give proper notice and conduct operations safely.
Meanwhile, residents—documented and undocumented—say they are living in fear and confusion. Civil rights attorneys warn that legal residents and U.S. citizens have been caught in the sweep, with videos circulating widely online.
McBean-Pompy urged community members to continue documenting every encounter:
“Record, record, record—those recordings will be very valuable to you later on.”
As federal enforcement intensifies and political rhetoric rises, Charlotte finds itself pulled into the national immigration fight, with the people on the ground left to navigate fear, uncertainty, and the sudden presence of federal agents in everyday spaces.
