NC Gov. Josh Stein talks about possible Border Patrol plans for Charlotte

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said Wednesday that he has not heard from the White House about federal agents coming to Charlotte.

CBS News and CNN have reported that U.S. Border Patrol agents in Chicago will soon depart for Charlotte and New Orleans. Speaking to journalists briefly, Stein responded to the reports after he spoke at an event celebrating automaker Scout Motors’ new headquarters in Charlotte.

“If we had absolute confidence that ICE was going to come here, and they were going to go and find violent, dangerous drug traffickers and criminals, and be targeted in their work, the city would welcome them with open arms,” he said. “I’m almost certain of that.”

But he said there have been instances where federal agents have detained American citizens for “days at a time,” where they have assaulted seniors and “gone after” protesters — in masks and without identification.

“We don’t know what their plans are for Charlotte,” the governor said. “If they come in and they are targeted in what they do, we will thank them. If they come in and wreak havoc and cause chaos and fear, we will be very concerned.”

There’s nothing the state could do to prevent Border Patrol from coming in, “even if we would want to,” he said. For now, they will have to wait, see and formulate a plan, he said.

Before The Charlotte Observer could ask Stein about how officials elsewhere have responded to federal agents, and whether he would consider a similar approach, his spokesperson cut reporters off and said he would take no more questions.

A spokesperson for Republican North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall also weighed in Wednesday on the possibility of Border Patrol operations in Charlotte.

“There is no question that Charlotte has a law-and-order problem, and it speaks volumes that liberal Charlotte politicians are more concerned with rumors of federal officers on their streets than the crime and lawlessness those politicians have ignored for years,” Hall spokeswoman Demi Dowdy said in a statement to the Observer.

U.S. Border Patrol activity in Chicago

In Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker encouraged Chicago residents to record agents, then formed a commission to track when those agents violated people’s rights. That commission is charged with documenting history, but also with accountability, Pritzker has said.

“Get out your cellphones,” Pritzker told Chicagoans at one press conference. “Record and narrate what you see. Put it on social media. Peacefully ask for badge numbers and identification. Speak up for your neighbors. We need to let the world know that this is happening, and that we won’t stand for it.”

Charlotte Observer reporter Mary Ramsey contributed to this story.

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 November 12, 2025 at 4:13 PM.

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.