Everything We Know About Operation Charlotte’s Web
Operation Charlotte’s Web: Everything We Know About The Immigration Crackdown In North Carolina
On Nov. 15, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a new enforcement mission in North Carolina: Operation Charlotte’s Web. According to a press release issued Saturday, the mass-deportation initiative will target criminal undocumented immigrants who allegedly migrated to the Tar Heel State because they “knew sanctuary politicians would protect them and allow them to roam free on American streets,” the DHS said.
The agency stated that nearly 1,400 detainers across North Carolina have gone unhonored, resulting in criminal undocumented individuals being released back into local neighborhoods. Through this operation, DHS says it aims to crack down on criminal offenders and protect residents in Charlotte.
“Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens hurting them, their families, or their neighbors,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed. There have been too many victims of criminal illegal aliens. President Trump and Secretary Noem will step up to protect Americans when sanctuary politicians won’t.”
81 arrests have been made since Charlotte’s Web began.
The operation began Saturday, with roughly 81 arrests made, according to Gregory Bovino, a longtime law enforcement official and senior leader in the U.S. Border Patrol.
The Guardian reported that Bovino—who previously led hundreds of CBP agents in a similar operation in Chicago—posted videos on social media documenting some of the arrests. One clip showed DHS officers apprehending several individuals, including some who attempted to flee.
Bovino captioned the video: “Wherever the wind takes us. High, low. Near, far. East, west. North, south. We take to the breeze, we go as we please.’ — Charlotte’s Web. This time, the breeze hit Charlotte like a storm. From border towns to the Queen City, our agents go where the mission calls.”
In several follow-up posts, he added that many of those taken into custody had “significant criminal and immigration history” and that the arrests were completed within “about 5 hours.” Bovino also shared photos from the first day of Operation Charlotte’s Web, including one showing a man who allegedly assaulted Border Patrol and ICE agents with his vehicle and another with an alleged history of drunk driving convictions.
“We arrested him, taking him off the streets of Charlotte so he can’t continue to ignore our laws and drive intoxicated on the same roads you and your loved ones are on,” Bovino wrote on Nov. 16.
North Carolina has faced criticism over its handling of ICE detainers in the past.
DHS also released a list of what it described as the “worst criminal illegal aliens,” accused of crimes ranging from trespassing and burglary to sexual assault—individuals the agency claims were released back into North Carolina communities due to the state’s “sanctuary” policies. Notably, Charlotte does not have an explicit sanctuary ordinance, but it is recognized as a Certified Welcoming City, a designation earned in 2022 for its commitment to immigrant inclusion.
Still, North Carolina has long been a focal point for conservative criticism. In 2019, former U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray argued that the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office failed to honor more than 200 ICE detainers, allowing individuals charged with criminal offenses to be released.
“By ignoring federal immigration detainers and administrative warrants, and refusing to simply inform ICE officers when an unlawful alien who has committed a criminal act is due to be released to the community, the Sheriffs of Mecklenburg and Buncombe Counties prioritize the protection of criminal aliens above the safety and protection of our communities,” Murray wrote at the time.
Community members are shaken by Charlotte’s Web. Some are taking action.
The community has been shaken by DHS’s latest crackdown. Gov. Josh Stein told the Guardian that the operation is “stoking fear,” not increasing public safety.
“We’ve seen masked, heavily armed agents in paramilitary garb driving unmarked cars, targeting American citizens based on their skin color, racially profiling and picking up random people in parking lots and off of our sidewalks,” Stein said in a video statement late Sunday. “This is not making us safer. It’s stoking fear and dividing our community.”
The outlet noted that at Camino, a nonprofit that serves Latino families, some residents said they were too afraid to leave their homes for school, medical appointments, or work. A dental clinic run by the group saw nine cancellations on Friday, spokesperson Paola Garcia said.
“Latinos love this country. They came here to escape socialism and communism, and they’re hard workers and people of faith,” Garcia explained. “They love their family, and it’s just so sad to see that this community now has this target on their back.”
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, Board of County Commissioners Chair Mark Jerrell, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education Chair Stephanie Sneed released a joint statement condemning unlawful arrests and the fear the operation has spread.
“Our organizations believe that our diversity makes us stronger,” the statement read. “The expected … operations are causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty in our community as recent operations in other cities have resulted in people without criminal records being detained and violent protests being the result of unwarranted actions.”
In response to the raids, activists were seen in social media videos distributing whistles to help residents alert neighbors if ICE or federal agents were nearby. In Asheville, hundreds gathered on Nov. 16 for an “ICE Out” rally in Pack Square Park. During an interview with WLOS on Sunday, event organizer Evan Branan said the goal was to show solidarity with immigrant communities.
“We’re seeing that Trump is using ICE and border patrol to kind of go into communities and punish them punitively when they’re not toeing his line, and we’re saying the people are gonna stand up just like in Chicago and just like in LA for their immigrant communities,” Branan said.
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