Federal immigration authorities have dramatically expanded their operations, moving into North Carolina's capital city of Raleigh following a weekend of mass arrests in Charlotte.
Mayor Confirms Federal Presence in Raleigh
Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell confirmed to local media on Tuesday that border patrol and ICE agents are already operating within the city. While acknowledging the federal presence, Cowell emphasised that local police would not participate in immigration arrests, stating the city is "committed to protecting our residents and following the law."
The expansion to Raleigh comes after what authorities dubbed "Charlotte's Web" resulted in more than 130 arrests over the weekend. Department of Homeland Security officials claimed they arrested 44 of what they described as "the worst of the worst" during the Charlotte operations.
Political Backlash and Public Response
North Carolina's Democratic Governor Josh Stein has emerged as a vocal critic of the federal operations. Taking to social media, Stein alerted Raleigh residents about the impending operations and urged vigilance. "To the people of Raleigh," he wrote, "if you see something wrong, record it and report it to local law enforcement. Let's keep each other safe."
Stein didn't mince words in his criticism of the Charlotte operations, accusing authorities of "targeting people simply going about their lives because of the color of their skin." His comments reflect growing concern about the methods being employed during these federal immigration sweeps.
Violent scenes from the Charlotte arrests circulated widely on social media, including footage showing an immigration agent smashing a car window. The man filming the incident, who possessed documentation, was arrested but later released.
Broader National Context and Legal Challenges
The Raleigh operations represent the latest escalation in a series of high-profile immigration sweeps that have previously targeted major cities including:
- Los Angeles
- Washington DC
- Chicago
Meanwhile, in a significant legal development, a Davidson county judge in Tennessee ruled against the Republican governor's decision to deploy the state national guard in support of the federal crackdown. The judge issued a temporary injunction against the deployment, though she put it on hold to allow for an appeal.
This Tennessee case presents a distinct scenario from other states where Trump has attempted to deploy the national guard, as it involves a Republican governor backing the administration's approach. Previous deployments in Oregon, California and Illinois - all states with Democratic governors - have resulted in federal lawsuits.
As the immigration operations continue to expand, Raleigh's mayor pointed out that the administration's framing of the crackdown as targeting violent crime appears inconsistent with local reality, noting that crime has actually dropped in the North Carolina capital.
