Crime & Courts

ICE says it arrested 24 undocumented immigrants in Charlotte in March, releases no names

Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a news release Tuesday saying the agency arrested 24 undocumented immigrants in an operation that ran from March 1 to March 8.

ICE did not release names of those 24 people arrested in Charlotte. The federal agency said charges included:

  • Thirteen aggravated felonies or other violent offenses.
  • Three illegal firearms or weapons offenses.
  • Two MS-13 gang member affiliation cases.
  • One assault on a federal officer.
  • Five property crimes.
  • Eleven driving while impaired charges.

The ICE news release accused Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden not honoring six detainers to hold people in the county jail.

“These aliens could have been safely and efficiently transferred into ICE custody if their detainers had been honored,” ICE said in its news release.

But McFadden said his office will not break the law, and pointed to 163 undocumented people he said ICE failed to pick up from his jail since Dec. 1. He again called for ICE officials to talk to him.

“A more comprehensive approach to immigration is necessary, and local sheriffs must be part of that conversation,” the sheriff said in his own statement. “I cannot keep having these discussions through media releases, soundbites, and weekly statements.”

This story was originally published March 19, 2025 at 1:07 PM.

Follow More of Our Reporting on Instagram & TikTok at The Charlotte Observer

Related Stories from Charlotte Observer
Ryan Oehrli
The Charlotte Observer
Ryan Oehrli writes about criminal justice for The Charlotte Observer. His reporting has delved into police misconduct, jail and prison deaths, the state’s pardon system and more. He was also part of a team of Pulitzer finalists who covered Hurricane Helene. A North Carolina native, he grew up in Beaufort County.
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER