With Trump inauguration Monday, Charlotte’s DHS office sees longer line than usual
Charlotte’s Department of Homeland Security office saw a long line Thursday, days before President-elect Donald Trump returns to office.
Trump has promised to mass deport millions of undocumented immigrants from the country — a prospect that experts say could be difficult and costly to the economy, including in North Carolina.
One report on social media described the scene Thursday as “chaos.” But the situation at the office was orderly and quiet, with people chatting amongst themselves. Some waited in line for appointments that had long been scheduled, others tried to get a walk-in meeting.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement takes walk-ins, though it prioritizes people with appointments. Charlotte’s DHS office is off Tyvola Center Drive. ICE is the DHS’ main investigative arm, and often initiates deportations.
There is usually a line, said Marco Ruiz, a Charlotte business owner who was there with his wife for her scheduled check-in. Thursday’s wait was especially long, though. They got in line around 8 a.m., he said, and were still not in the building by noon.
“I guess the uncertainty of what’s going to happen gets people a little rattled,” he said, referencing Trump’s return to the White House.
A woman, whom The Charlotte Observer agreed not to name, said she came by because she’s worried about what might happen after Trump’s inauguration next week.
She came to the United States from Honduras, she said.
She’s had routine appointments with ICE for eight years, first in Nevada and later in North Carolina, she told a reporter with the help of a translator.
Her daughter, born in the United States, is 21 and studying medicine in Honduras, she said. She is worried for her, too, she said.
Asked for comment Thursday, ICE said in a statement: “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that protects the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of our communities and the integrity of our immigration laws.”
The agency makes “custody determinations on a case-by-case basis” in accordance with the law and DHS policy, the statement said. ICE officers “apply prosecutorial discretion in a responsible manner.”
Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.
This story was originally published January 16, 2025 at 3:34 PM.