CHARLOTTE, N.C., 16 November (H.S.): Federal authorities on Saturday confirmed the launch of a significant immigration enforcement operation in Charlotte, North Carolina's largest city, leading to widespread fear, community protests, and accusations of constitutional overreach from local officials.The enforcement surge, which began without prior public announcement, saw federal agents making arrests across multiple locations.

Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended the action, stating, “We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed.” This move by the Trump administration follows a focus on the recent fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee on a city train, used to argue that Democratic-led cities are failing to protect residents.

However, local leaders, including Mayor Vi Lyles, denounced the operation for creating unnecessary fear and uncertainty. This sentiment was echoed by community members, especially as official data indicates a more than 20% decrease in major crimes like homicides, rapes, and robberies in Charlotte through August compared to the previous year.

Incidents reported on Saturday intensified community alarm. Willy Aceituno, a 46-year-old Honduran-born U.S. citizen, reported being stopped twice by Border Patrol. During the second encounter, agents broke his car window, forcibly removed him, and detained him before releasing him upon reviewing his citizenship documents.

In another instance, two men were approached by federal agents while hanging Christmas lights in a residential yard.The crackdown has had a chilling effect on the city, home to over 150,000 foreign-born residents. Some local businesses, particularly in Latino communities, closed on Saturday for fear of raids. Meanwhile, several hundred people gathered in a Charlotte park to protest the enforcement blitz.

City Council member JD Mazuera Arias questioned the presence of Customs and Border Patrol in a non-border city, calling it a gross violation of constitutional rights.While the Mecklenburg County Republican Party Chairman, Kyle Kirby, welcomed the operation as a fulfillment of President Trump's 2024 election mandate to secure the borders, Democratic Governor Josh Stein cautioned that many detained in such operations have no criminal history.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has explicitly stated it is not involved in the federal enforcement actions.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar