A normally tranquil stretch of woodland in Charlotte, North Carolina, erupted with noise on Sunday as protesters clashed with federal agents conducting a mission known as Operation Charlotte’s Web. This initiative, led by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), was focused on detaining individuals with outstanding criminal immigration warrants.
The DHS announced on Friday that it had bolstered its law enforcement presence in the city, targeting what it described as “criminal illegal aliens terrorizing Americans.” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin emphasized that the operation aimed to “remove public-safety threats and restore order.”
By Saturday afternoon, footage captured at the scene depicted an intense standoff, with residents vocally opposing the operation. Cries of “Get out of my city!” echoed through the trees as Border Patrol and Homeland Security officers progressed with their mission.
“Get out!” one protester shouted, gesturing angrily at the agents clad in tactical gear. Another voice joined in, asserting, “Our city—not yours!”
A protester confronts federal agents during a Homeland Security operation in Charlotte, N.C., on Nov. 16, 2025. Demonstrators engaged with Border Patrol and Homeland Security officers during the search for a suspect as part of Operation Charlotte’s Web, a federal immigration enforcement action. (Oliya Scootercaster (FreedomNewsTV))
In the midst of the tense exchange, an agent brandishing a gas canister warned the crowd, “This is tear gas! Stop following us!”
In another tense moment captured on video, an agent identifying himself as Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) tried to calm the crowd as protesters surrounded him with phone cameras rolling.
Female protester: “How do you know they’re illegal before you cuff them? That’s a Fourth Amendment violation!”
HSI agent: “Our job here is to protect the folks doing enforcement. We’re bound by what’s reasonable under the law.”
Female protester: “You’re detaining people who sell flowers, man. Families. That’s not a threat.”
HSI agent: “I understand your frustration. But this isn’t a conversation when everyone’s screaming at each other.”
The back-and-forth continued for several minutes until the agent walked away to another agent setting up a drone.
WATCH: Protester confronts HSI agent over immigration arrests during Charlotte operation
A Border Patrol agent holds a tear gas canister while moving through a wooded area during Operation Charlotte’s Web in Charlotte, N.C., on Nov. 16, 2025. Federal officers with Homeland Security and Border Patrol clashed with protesters as they searched for a man during the immigration enforcement mission. (Oliya Scootercaster (FreedomNewsTV))
At one point, a protester yelled, “Seventy percent of the people you grab are non-violent!” Another shouted, “You’re tearing families apart for nothing!”
Operation Charlotte’s Web comes as the city faces intensifying scrutiny over violent crime.
Department of Homeland Security Investigations Officers operate a drone in search of two individuals who fled the scene after being stopped while selling flowers on the side of the road on November 16, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)
Homicides and aggravated assaults have risen sharply this year, prompting Republican lawmakers to urge Democratic Gov. Josh Stein to deploy the National Guard. For now, the governor has resisted that call from Republican lawmakers, and local officials have argued that public safety remains a local responsibility.
“Recently, the city faced eight homicides in seven days. The murder rate in uptown Charlotte is now 200% higher than it was a year ago,” a letter from a trio of Republican lawmakers said. “According to the Fraternal Order of Police, aggravated assaults involving knives or guns have risen from 86 in 2024 to 111 in 2025, and personal strong-arm robberies have increased from 26 to 31 in the same period.”
A photo of lit buildings forming the skyline of Charlotte, North Carolina. (Andrea Evangelo-Giamou / EyeEm via Getty Images)
Charlotte is a racially diverse city of more than 900,000 residents, including more than 150,000 who are foreign-born, the Associated Press reported, citing local officials. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Sheriff’s Office for comment.
