Charlotte breathes out as immigration crackdown winds down, but questions linger

Charlotte residents are catching their breath after five tense days of immigration raids, protests and shuttered storefronts, with city and county officials signalling that the federal operation has come to an end.

“It appears that U.S. Border Patrol has ceased its operations in Charlotte. I’m relieved for our community and the residents, businesses, and all those who were targeted and impacted by this intrusion,” Mayor Vi Lyles wrote, urging the city to regroup “not as separate groups divided by recent events, but as one Charlotte community.”

The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office echoed that message, confirming that federal authorities had wrapped up “Operation Charlotte’s Web” and that no further activity was expected that day. At the same time, officials were careful to stress that this was not a full retreat.

“While the ‘Charlotte’s Web’ operation has ended, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will continue to operate in Mecklenburg County as they always have,” the sheriff’s office said, noting ICE’s ongoing authority to detain undocumented migrants “in accordance with federal law.”

The surge began on November 15, after the Trump administration announced it was flooding resources into Charlotte over claims that local leaders were running “sanctuary” policies that let undocumented people “roam free on American streets”. By Tuesday night, the Department of Homeland Security said more than 250 arrests had been made, with operations stretching into Raleigh and surrounding areas.

For many in Charlotte, the experience felt less like law enforcement and more like a shock to daily life. Businesses such as Manolo’s Bakery temporarily closed to protect staff and customers. Protests erupted outside workplaces and gathering spots where Border Patrol agents were seen. Students at several schools staged walkouts, and local media reported attendance had dipped by nearly 15 percent on Monday.

Alongside the protests came disturbing footage: smashed car windows, people tackled to the ground, scenes that stirred fears of excessive force and human rights abuses. Advocacy groups and residents questioned whether such tactics were proportionate or necessary.

Even as Charlotte returns to relative calm, attention is shifting elsewhere. A new Border Patrol operation, dubbed the “Swamp Sweep”, is expected in New Orleans, while other Democrat-led cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Memphis and Washington, DC have also faced heightened enforcement. Meanwhile, immigration detention across the US has hit a record 60,000 people, underscoring the scale of President Trump’s push for mass deportations.