Charlotte Immigration Operation Still Ongoing: Homeland Security

Immigration enforcement officers have arrested about 370 people in Charlotte, North Carolina, during an operation that started Saturday.

U.S. Border Patrol Commander at large Gregory Bovino (R) looks on as a detainee sits by a car in Charlotte, N.C., on Nov. 17, 2025. Matt Kelley/AP Photo

The federal immigration crackdown in Charlotte, North Carolina, will continue despite local reports of a slowdown, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden, who notified the media of the incoming federal operation last week, said on Thursday the operation appeared to be over.

The local police department also posted on social media that it received “reliable information” that Border Patrol personnel involved in the operation had departed earlier in the day.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin disputed the local reports.

“Wrong. Operation Charlotte’s Web isn’t ending anytime soon,” McLaughlin said on X.

Homeland Security spokesperson also said federal agencies continue to target some of the most dangerous criminal illegal immigrants as the operation progresses.

About 370 people have been arrested in Charlotte over the past five days, according to DHS.

The operation is part of the Trump administration’s project to remove as many illegal immigrants from the United States as possible.

DHS announced the operation Saturday to target criminal illegal immigrants in and around Charlotte, which describes itself as a “certified welcoming city” that is committed to immigrant inclusion and access to city services.

Since arriving, federal agents have faced attacks by local protesters, including when a law enforcement vehicle occupied by officers was rammed by another vehicle on Monday.

“Agents were preparing for an operation when a car jumped a curb to enter the parking lot and sped toward agents,” DHS reported on X.

Agents tried to confront the woman driver before the car she was driving rammed a law enforcement vehicle and fled. Agents then pursued the suspect, eventually stopping the car in a cul-de-sac where the driver suspect was arrested for assault, according to DHS.

Protesters march at the "No Border Patrol In Charlotte" rally in Charlotte, N.C., on Nov. 15, 2025. Grant Baldwin/Getty Images

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, criticized U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents, who he accused of “doing the opposite of keeping us safe,” in a post on X Thursday.

“Americans are scared to be out in the community for fear of Border Patrol bashing in their windows,” he said. “The Border Patrol people need to prioritize public safety, getting bad people, and not causing fear among the people in the community.”

Federal agents are expected to converge in New Orleans next for “Swamp Sweep,” an immigration operation expected to last months in southeast Louisiana.

About 250 federal border agents are expected to arrive in The Big Easy in the coming weeks ahead of the operation’s launch on Dec. 1.

DHS declined to confirm reports of the operation “for safety and security of law enforcement.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.