More than 250 people have been arrested in a federal immigration crackdown across North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Federal agents have now arrested more than 250 people during an immigration crackdown in North Carolina centered around Charlotte, the state’s largest city, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday.

The operation that began over the weekend is the latest phase in Republican President Donald Trump’s aggressive mass deportation effort that has sent the military and immigration agents into Democratic-run cities — from Chicago to Los Angeles.

Read more: They thought they were in court for a routine immigration hearing, but they were trapped in a deportation trap

Immigration officials have been covering the country since January, bringing the number of detainees to an all-time high of above 60,000 people. Major cities and small towns across the country are being targeted daily amid high-profile crackdowns in places like Portland, Oregon, where more than 560 people were arrested in October. Smaller batches of enforcement have emerged elsewhere.

North Carolina’s roundup expanded to include areas surrounding the state capital, Raleigh, on Tuesday, spreading fear in at least one suburb crowded with immigrants.

Late Wednesday, Raleigh Mayor Janet Coyle said on the social media platform X that “Border Patrol enforcement appears to have been suspended” in the city. DHS did not announce a change in its presence and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read more: Raleigh’s mayor says federal immigration agents will expand enforcement actions to include the state capital

The number of arrests around Charlotte and beyond during what the government called “Operation Charlotte’s Web” was about double the total announced by Department of Homeland Security officials earlier this week. The agencies “continue to target some of the most dangerous illegal aliens,” the department said in a statement.

Their targets include people living in the United States without legal authorization and those who allegedly have criminal records.

Federal officials provided few details about those detained. They’ve also remained quiet about the scope of the enforcement operations across North Carolina and where agents will show up next, keeping communities on edge.

The crackdown in Charlotte was met with pockets of resistance and protests.

He watches: How Charlotte is responding to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in the city

About 100 people gathered outside a Home Depot store in Charlotte on Wednesday, where federal agents have been spotted several times since the surge began. Protest organizers briefly entered the store carrying orange and white signs that read, “ICE OUT OF HOME DEPOT, PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES.”

The arrests in Charlotte and the Raleigh area have had a chilling effect in immigrant neighborhoods, where school enrollment has dropped and small stores and restaurants have closed their doors to avoid confrontations between agents and federal agents.

A supermarket employee serving the Latino community guards the entrance amid expectations of raids by federal authorities expanding their crackdown on illegal immigration, in Raleigh, North Carolina, on November 18, 2025. Photo by Jonathan Drake/Reuters

Customers at the laundromat left their clothes in the washers and dryers and did not return after agents showed up at the Charlotte mall on Sunday, said David Rebolso, the company’s owner.

Rebolso, a Mexican-American born in Brownsville, Texas, said agents did not target his laundromat, but they still affected his profits and closed nearby stores.

Read more: After increased border patrol over the weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina governor says efforts ‘create fear’

“We’re only open because I’m an American citizen, so it doesn’t bother me,” he said. “But of course business has stopped. I have no customers.”

Just days after the campaign began in North Carolina, Border Patrol agents were expected to arrive in New Orleans by the end of the week to begin preparing for their next big operation in southeastern Louisiana, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press and three people familiar with the operation.

About 250 federal Border Patrol agents are scheduled to descend on New Orleans in the coming weeks to take part in a two-month crackdown on immigration that is expected to begin in earnest on December 1.

Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol commander appointed to head the Louisiana sweep, was on the ground in North Carolina this week, leading the operation there as well.

Louisiana Republicans expressed their support on Wednesday. State party Chairman Derek Babcock said it shows Trump and Republican Gov. Jeff Landry’s commitment to “keeping our citizens safe.”

He watches: Dramatic ICE raid in Chicago, hailed as counterterrorism victory, does not lead to criminal charges

The head of the state’s ACLU chapter said they are collecting information to help people know their rights and coordinating with legal services and groups associated with the immigrant community.

“We urge those with the privilege and opportunity to take risks to defend their neighbors and friends,” said Alana Odoms of the ACLU of Louisiana.

Associated Press reporters Eric Verduzco in Charlotte, Elliot Spagat in San Diego, Safiya Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, Sarah Klein in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and John Sewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.