In a significant move, federal agents have expanded President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts in Charlotte, North Carolina. Within the first 48 hours of this intensified operation, known as “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” 130 individuals were detained, including a member of the notorious MS-13 gang.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that among those apprehended were 44 individuals with criminal records. These records include serious offenses such as aggravated assault, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault on a police officer, battery, driving under the influence, and hit-and-run incidents. The operation also led to the arrest of two known gang members.
Greg Bovino, who leads this crackdown for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), expressed his determination in a social media statement on Sunday, asserting that his agents would “hit Charlotte like a storm.”
A photograph from the operation shows U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino overseeing the process as a detainee sits by a vehicle on Monday, November 17, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
During the operation, footage revealed agents dressed in tactical gear conducting arrests across the state, targeting individuals suspected of being in the United States illegally. This highlighted the intense and coordinated efforts being made in this latest phase of immigration enforcement.
Footage from the crackdown captured agents fanning across the state in tactical gear and arresting migrants alleged to be in the country illegally.
In a joint statement, Charlotte and Mecklenburg County elected officials, including Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, slammed the CBP operations, saying they are “causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty in our community.”
“It is critical for all residents to feel secure in our community and know they can live their lives without being fearful while walking down the street, going to school, work or the grocery store.”
Approximately 20,935 students were absent from school across 185 schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg district, according to WBTV, citing school officials. The local outlet reported that 31% of the student population are Hispanic-identifying students.
Some Charlotte businesses have remained closed since DHS’s immigration crackdown, such as Latino-owned Manolo’s Bakery. The bakery closed on Saturday after the owner witnessed CBP activity. The owner of Manolo’s Bakery, Manolo Betancur, wrote in an Instagram post that this was the first time in 28 years that he was shutting down his bakery.
“Just made me sick, man,” he wrote in the post, summarizing an interview he did with Fox 46 Charlotte. “Sick to my stomach. I’m an American citizen and I have to carry my passport because the way I look, the way I talk, and because of my accent.”
A driver in a white van was filmed fleeing from law enforcement officers conducting an immigration operation, according to video released Sunday by the Department of Homeland Security. (X/@DHSgov)
On Monday, Fox News reported on an officer getting injured after two separate vehicle ramming incidents during operations on Sunday.
“Today, Customs and Border Protection agents in Charlotte faced another vehicle ramming while in a parking lot. Agents were preparing for an operation, when a car jumped a curb to enter the parking lot and drove toward agents,” Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News in a statement.
“The driver was warned to stop and back up. The driver then moved the vehicle toward the exit of the parking lot to box in Border Patrol,” the statement continued. “As agents went to confront the driver, the car rammed a law enforcement vehicle and fled the scene. Agents pursued the aggressor, eventually stopping the car in a cul-de-sac where the driver was arrested.”
McLaughlin went on to note that the suspect in that incident was “a transgender perpetrator.”
The suspect in the other case — a U.S. citizen — accelerated his van at officers conducting an enforcement operation near the University City area, according to an X post from DHS.
WATCH: Protesters confront Border Patrol during DHS operation in Charlotte
The local pushback in the Queen City included residents confronting working agents in a wooded area. Footage captured dozens of protesters recording federal agents as they worked, yelling obscenities and blowing whistles.
“F— you! Get out!” one protester screamed, waving his arms toward a group of agents in tactical gear. Another yelled, “Our city — not yours!
Federal agents are moving approximately 170 miles north to Raleigh, North Carolina, Mayor Janet Cowell said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.
“While RPD is not involved in immigration enforcement, we are committed to protecting our residents and to following the law. I can confirm that the Raleigh Police Department has not participated in any immigration planning activities. Above all, Raleigh is a safe city, with crime down year-over-year. Public safety is a priority for me and this City Council,” she said.
A Department of Homeland Security agent stands guard as protesters demonstrate against raids conducted by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) outside the DHS office in Charlotte, North Carolina, on November 16, 2025. (PETER ZAY/AFP via Getty Images)
Charlotte is the latest city targeted by the Trump administration to enforce immigration laws, in a nationwide effort that has included cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago.
The cities, including Charlotte, are considered “sanctuary jurisdictions,” where local authorities are limited in their aid of immigration agents. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Sheriff’s Office declined to comment on ongoing immigration enforcement.
WATCH: ICE to surge operations in New Orleans after ‘Operation Charlotte’s Web’
New Orleans, Louisiana, is the next stop in Trump’s immigration crackdown in Operation Catahoula Crunch, Gov. Jeff Landry told “America Reports.”
