‘Our message is simple.’ Charlotte-area leaders speak out on Border Patrol plans

Charlotte-area elected officials issued a statement of support for the region’s immigrant communities after reports of planned U.S. Border Patrol operations in the city.

CNN and CBS News reported Tuesday some border patrol agents could be moved to Charlotte and New Orleans for operations expected to begin this month.

The reports of Border Patrol operations in other U.S. cities follow a weekslong campaign in Chicago that’s sparked criticism from some over the agency’s practices, including the use of tear gas and clashes with protestors. A federal judge issued an injunction limiting the use of force during immigration arrests and protests in response to Border Patrol’s behavior in Chicago last week, ABC News reported.

“Our message is simple: Mecklenburg County and Charlotte are communities of belonging. We will stand together, look out for one another, and ensure that fear never divides the city we all home,” Charlotte City Council member-elect JD Mazuera Arias said in a statement shared on his social media accounts late Tuesday.

The letter was also signed by Charlotte City Council member Dimple Ajmera, County Commissioner Susan Rodrguez-McDowell, Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board member Liz Monterrey Duvall and state legislators Jordan Lopez, Mujtaba Mohammed and Caleb Theodros.

The group said state and local leaders don’t control or direct immigration operations but “will continue working to advance policies that protect Mecklenburg County and North Carolina families and strengthen due process and public trust.” Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police doesn’t have the authority to enforce immigration laws and doesn’t participate in federal immigration operations, they added.

“CMPD officers are not required to ask about immigration status and will only become involved when criminal behavior or warrants fall under their jurisdiction,” the letter said.

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said on social media Wednesday she’s “aware of reports of immigration enforcement activity that may be coming to Charlotte.”

“It is important that we keep to the facts that we know, as there are many rumors in the community that as far as we know are not verified and we do not want to cause additional alarm in an uncertain environment,” she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Lyles said the city is “committed to following the law and to protecting the rights of all people who call our city home.”

“I understand that many in our community may feel anxiety or uncertainty. I understand how unsettling it can be when the sense of security you have in your daily life is shaken. I want to assure you: Your concerns matter. Your safety matters. Your rights matter,” she wrote. “Charlotte’s strength lies in our unity and mutual respect. We are safer together. We are stronger together. Let us continue working toward a city where everyone feels safe, valued, and able to contribute to our shared future.”

Border Patrol officials told McClatchy Tuesday the agency does not “discuss future or potential operations.”

“Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country,” Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of homeland security, said in a statement.

Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden, who has clashed with Immigration and Customs Enforcement this year over its practices in the Charlotte area, said in a statement Tuesday no federal officials had informed him or CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings about any plan for a federal immigration operation.

“Given the current climate surrounding immigration and the potential for violence associated with law enforcement operations at any level, Sheriff McFadden respectfully requests that any CBP activities taking place within Mecklenburg County be communicated to MCSO and local law enforcement in advance along with any relevant updates or points of contacts,” the sheriff’s department statement said. “This will help ensure the safety of all parties involved.”

Local immigration attorney Andrés López compared Border Patrol’s actions in other cities to “the wild, wild west.”

“That’s what I’ve been observing, as far as what’s been going on in Chicago or Los Angeles. The thought of that coming to Charlotte is upsetting and disconcerting,” he said.

Immigration-related arrests are already on the rise in Charlotte, a Charlotte Observer investigation found previously. ICE arrested about three times the number of people in the first half of 2025 countywide compared to the same time in 2024, data show.

This story was originally published November 12, 2025 at 11:35 AM.

Mary Ramsey

The Charlotte Observer

Mary Ramsey is the local government accountability reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she studied journalism at the University of South Carolina and has also worked in Phoenix, Arizona and Louisville, Kentucky. Support my work with a digital subscription