Three months after an immigration enforcement crackdown in Charlotte left much of the city shaken, it’s still difficult to get clear answers about what federal law enforcement agents did. That includes who was arrested, where people were taken and why.
Last November, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents carried out an immigration enforcement operation in Charlotte known as “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” with agents wearing masks and driving unmarked vehicles across the city for several days.
Federal officials said the operation led to more than 425 arrests and that about a dozen of those detained had serious criminal convictions, but they have not provided details about most of the people arrested.
For some families, that lack of information created days and even weeks of uncertainty.
“This situation was distressing because it was hard to find him and stay in contact,” said the mother of a 23-year-old Mexican man who was detained. “We were calling everywhere, trying to find information online, and nothing.”
Three months later, journalists covering the operation say many basic questions remain unanswered.
“We still don’t know the names of the vast majority of people who’ve been arrested here,” said Ryan Oehrli, a reporter with The Charlotte Observer who has covered immigration enforcement extensively. “So we can’t dig into their criminal histories or who they are. And we’ve asked, I don’t know how many times, but a lot, so it’s not for a lack of asking.”
Oehrli said even foundational details shifted during the operation, including conflicting arrest totals shared by officials, followed by little response when reporters sought clarity.
For immigrant families, that uncertainty can be devastating.
“Many people were asking, 'Where are they taking my loved one?'” Diego Barahona, editor of La Noticia, a Spanish-language newspaper serving North Carolina’s Latino community, said. “And for many weeks, even months, we couldn’t answer that question. And for many people, even today, it’s hard to find that answer.”
Barahona said the combination of aggressive enforcement and limited official communication has fueled fear and misinformation in immigrant communities.
“People are really afraid,” he said. “This will affect directly our communities because this connection between the community and the law enforcement officers is crucial for the security of everybody.”
Concerns about missing information have reached beyond immigrant communities and the press.
Last week, Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem requesting records and basic information from the operation, citing reports that U.S. citizens may have been detained, subjected to force, or had property damaged.
Gunita Singh, a staff attorney specializing in public records law at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said that when information is delayed or withheld, the consequences extend far beyond a single news cycle.
“Immigration enforcement affects everyone, not just immigrants,” Singh said, pointing to intersections with local policing, public safety, courts, jails, detention centers, workplaces and taxpayer spending.
Singh said limited access to official records makes it harder for the public to evaluate government actions.
“The press are a proxy for the public,” she said. “Most people don’t have the time or legal leverage to question federal agencies themselves.”
Advocates have also raised alarms about the rapid growth of the federal detention system. The American Immigration Council reported in January that the number of people held in ICE detention has surged over the past year, alongside a sharp increase in the number of facilities used for detention.
Meanwhile, the Brennan Center has noted that Congress provided ICE $75 billion over four years, on top of roughly $10 billion previously appropriated for fiscal year 2025, dramatically expanding the agency’s resources.
With that level of power, Singh said, agencies have a responsibility to explain what they are doing and why.
“Power without explanation or justification is really a problem for democracy,” Singh said, noting that immigration enforcement agencies wield extraordinary authority, including detention and deportation.
For reporters like Oehrli, the lack of official detail means relying more heavily on accounts from community members, even as questions from journalists and public officials go unanswered.
“I am biased toward the idea that the public deserves to know things about what their taxpayer dollars are funding and what’s going on with the government,” Oehrli said.
And for Barahona, whose readers are overwhelmingly immigrant, the impact is measured in trust and safety.
“Ultimately, this lack of communication will hurt this relationship between the community and the law enforcement agencies,” Barahona said. “At the end of the day, everybody is less safe because of that.”
Several news organizations, including WFAE, are still waiting on public records requests, some submitted months ago, seeking more information about “Operation Charlotte’s Web.”
