Local mayor says Trump’s next anti-immigration campaign will target Charlotte, North Carolina

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The next city bracing for the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown is Charlotte, North Carolina, which could see an influx of federal agents as early as this weekend, the county’s mayor said Thursday.

Mecklenburg County Sheriff Gary McFadden said in a statement that federal officials have confirmed a plan for US Customs and Border Protection agents to begin an enforcement operation on Saturday or early next week in North Carolina’s largest city. His office declined to identify these officials. Details of the operation have not been released, and his office has not been asked for assistance, McFadden said.

Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin declined to comment, saying, “Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the land across the country. We do not discuss future or potential operations.”

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President Donald Trump has defended sending the military and immigration agents to Democratic-run cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and even the nation’s capital, saying the unprecedented operations are necessary to fight crime and implement a mass deportation agenda. Charlotte is another Democratic stronghold, and the state will see one of the most contentious Senate races in the country next year.

Activists, religious leaders, local and state officials in the city have already begun preparing the migrant community, sharing information about resources and trying to allay fears. A call organized by the group CharlotteEAST involved nearly 500 people on Wednesday.

“The purpose of this call was to create a mutual aid network. It was an information resource sharing session,” said City Councilman-elect J.D. Mazuera Arias.

“Let’s make as many people as possible aware of the helpers and who are the people doing the work that people can get involved in, either as volunteers to donate to or those who need support can turn to,” said Greg Asciuto, executive director of Charlotte East.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department also sought to clarify its role, saying it has “no authority to enforce federal immigration laws,” and is not involved in planning or carrying out such enforcement operations.

Mazuera Arias and others said they have already begun receiving reports of what appear to be plainclothes officers in neighborhoods and on local transportation.

“This is some of the chaos we’ve also seen in Chicago,” state Sen. Caleb Theodoros, who represents Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, said Thursday.

Theodoros was one of several local and state officials to issue a statement of solidarity this week.

“More than 150,000 foreign-born residents live in our city, contributing billions to our economy and enriching every neighborhood with culture, hard work and hope,” the letter said, adding: “We will stand together, take care of each other, and ensure that fear never divides the city we all call home.”

Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol chief who led the recent Chicago operation for Customs and Border Protection and was also central to the immigration crackdown in Los Angeles, was fearful about where agents would target next.

The Trump administration’s so-called “Operation Midstream Blitz” in the Chicago area was announced in early September, over the objections of local leaders and after weeks of threats on the Democratic stronghold.

Read more: In Chicago, the massive show of force signals a sharp escalation in Trump’s anti-immigration campaign

It began with a handful of arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in the suburbs, but eventually included hundreds of Customs and Border Protection agents whose tactics became increasingly aggressive. More than 3,200 people suspected of violating immigration laws were arrested throughout Chicago, its many suburbs and even Indiana.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the two immigration agencies, provided few details about the arrests, aside from revealing that a small number of people were living in the United States without legal authorization and had criminal records.

The group Indivisible Charlotte and the Carolina Migrant Network will conduct volunteer training on Friday.

“Training people on how to recognize legitimate ICE agents, versus those that don’t appear to be legitimate,” said Tony Siracusa, spokesman for Invisible Charlotte. “They don’t always wear vests that say ‘ICE’. And what are your rights.”

The groups will also discuss areas where they can hold “pop-up protests.”

“We’re obviously not doing anything that would encourage people to be arrested by federal agents,” he said.

Siracusa said locals “are not afraid, but they are definitely concerned. No one has asked for this help. No one has asked for this, at least no one with any official status.”

The strain was reported from Wake Forest, North Carolina. Associated Press writer Sophia Tarin in Chicago contributed to this report.