Federal agents arrested more than 1,100 people in the weeks during and immediately following Operation “Charlotte’s Web,” a federal immigration enforcement operation that took place in North Carolina last fall, new data obtained and released by the Deportation Data Project shows.
Despite claims from the Trump administration that federal agents would be targeting “criminal illegal aliens” and arresting the “worst of the worst,” just 30% of individuals arrested between Nov. 15, when the operation began, and year’s end had been convicted of a crime, according to an NC Local analysis of the data. Less than 40% had pending criminal charges. The remainder had no pending criminal charges or criminal convictions.
During the initial enforcement surge, which was led by U.S Customs and Border Protection, daily arrest totals spiked to as high as 81 across the state. After Border Patrol agents left Charlotte on Nov. 20, statewide arrest totals steeply declined, despite a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson’s claim that the enforcement operation wasn’t “ending anytime soon.”
The operation forced businesses to temporarily close, with store owners fearful federal agents would target customers. Many businesses that remained opened locked their doors, so federal agents wouldn’t be able to enter. Parents kept children home from school, and workers avoided construction sites, stalling projects.
In a January news release from ICE, the agency said the operation had netted more than 1,300 arrests. ICE, CBP and the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees both agencies, have not fulfilled several NC Local records requests seeking more information on those arrested.
Since Trump took office and announced his mass deportation program, federal agents have arrested more than 6,000 people across North Carolina as of March 10, arrest data shows.
Who did federal agents arrest?
It is still unclear the identities of those arrested during the immigration enforcement operation, which targeted Charlotte and other parts of North Carolina, including the Triangle.
It is also unclear where individuals arrested were detained, though data suggests several hundred people have been held at ICE’s Charlotte field office, which is also an ICE “hold room,” or temporary detention site, where people can be held for up to 72 hours.
According to the data, at least four children were possibly held there in the weeks during and following the operation.
This article first appeared on NCLocal and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
