Border Patrol agents will be en route to Charlotte, North Carolina, as early as this weekend or early next week to conduct an immigration operation, a county sheriff confirmed on Thursday.
Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden revealed he spoke with two federal officials about the move on Wednesday without disclosing specific details of the operation. The Border Patrol is not asking the sheriff’s office to assist with or participate in federal immigration enforcement, according to the local official.
“We value and welcome the renewed collaboration and open communication with our federal partners,” McFadden said. “It allows us to stay informed and be proactive in keeping Mecklenburg County safe and to maintain the level of trust our community deserves.”
The sheriff’s statement marks the first confirmation of Border Patrol’s Charlotte operation, which was previously reported by the Washington Examiner based on sources familiar with the plan.
Border Patrol agents based in Chicago are expected to travel to North Carolina in the coming days. Gregory Bovino, the commander who oversaw the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Los Angeles and Chicago this year, is also poised to travel to Charlotte.
Under McFadden, Charlotte has declined to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement because of its status as a sanctuary city. Although he has criticized ICE in the past, McFadden said he has a “better working relationship” with the agency since a meeting on Oct. 17.
McFadden, a Democrat in his second term, recently announced he’s seeking reelection next year.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said it will not participate in any immigration enforcement actions, as it lacks authority in this matter. The police department added that it has not been involved in the planning of the operation whatsoever.
Gov. Josh Stein (D-NC) said he has not received any confirmation from the federal government concerning the operation.
“If we had absolute confidence that ICE was going to come here and they were going to go and find violent, dangerous drug traffickers and criminals and be targeted in their work, the city would welcome them with open arms,” Stein told reporters in Charlotte on Wednesday. “I’m almost certain of that. We haven’t heard from them, so we don’t know what their plans are, but we have seen instances where ICE has gone after American citizens and detained them for up to days at a time.”
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles made a similar statement, calling the rumors of such an operation unverified and telling the local community to remain calm.
“As Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) has shared, CMPD does not participate in ICE operations, nor is CMPD involved in the planning of these federal activities,” she posted on X. “CMPD would only become involved in situations where there are criminal behavior or criminal warrants that fall under CMPD’s jurisdiction.”
BORDER PATROL AGENTS IN CHICAGO HEADING TO CHARLOTTE THIS WEEK
The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on the operation.
“Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country,” DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin previously told the Washington Examiner. “We do not discuss future or potential operations.”
