Federal authorities say arrests in the North Carolina immigration crackdown have topped 250, with operations centered on Charlotte and spreading toward Raleigh. The campaign, framed by the government as “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” has combined Border Patrol, ICE and Enforcement and Removal Operations activity and pushed national detention counts above 60,000 since January. Local impacts include dropped school attendance, shuttered small shops and restaurants, and customers abandoning laundromat machines, according to reporting and business owner David Rebolloso. About 100 people protested at a Charlotte Home Depot, and documents and sources show roughly 250 Border Patrol agents are slated to deploy to New Orleans for a two-month operation expected to begin Dec. 1. DHS has declined further public detail and said it will not telegraph operations.
Federal officials say arrests in the North Carolina immigration enforcement surge have exceeded 250, and the operation has spread beyond Charlotte into areas around the state capital of Raleigh. The government has characterized the activity as part of “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” a concentrated phase of broader mass deportation efforts that federal authorities have rolled out in cities across the country. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released the updated arrest total and said agencies “continue to target some of the most dangerous criminal illegal aliens.”
The campaign has drawn national assets, including U.S. Border Patrol leadership. Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol commander tapped to lead an upcoming Louisiana sweep, has been on the ground in North Carolina and is described in reporting as overseeing operations there. DHS has otherwise declined to elaborate on the scope and specifics of the enforcement, and spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, “For the safety and security of law enforcement, we’re not going to telegraph potential operations.”
The enforcement push has been accompanied by visible resistance and local disruption. About 100 people gathered outside a Home Depot in Charlotte, where federal agents have been spotted multiple times, and protesters briefly entered the store with orange-and-white signs reading, “ICE out of Home Depot, Protect our communities.” The presence of agents in shopping centers and near small businesses has produced what local residents and owners described as a chilling effect in immigrant neighborhoods.
School attendance fell in some areas after arrests began, and small shops and restaurants reported closures to avoid possible confrontations between customers and federal officers. Businesses in a shopping center near one enforcement action shut for days, according to reporting, and a laundromat owner, David Rebolloso, said customers abandoned clothes in machines and did not return after agents appeared at the complex on Sunday. Rebolloso, identified as a Mexican-American born in Brownsville, Texas, said, “We’re only open because I’m an American citizen, so it doesn’t bother me,” and added bluntly, “But of course, business is down. I have no customers.”
Officials have offered limited public detail about those arrested, and federal authorities have not released comprehensive demographic or criminal-profile data for the detainees. The broader campaign to increase arrests and detentions has driven national detention counts to record highs, with immigration officials pushing detention totals above 60,000 since January. The national sweep model has combined higher-profile city operations with smaller, daily enforcement actions; reporting noted that Portland, Oregon, alone saw more than 560 immigration arrests in October.
Municipal leaders and community groups say the unpredictable pattern of enforcement — with little advance notice on where agents may appear next — has increased fear and disrupted everyday life. The enforcement has expanded geographically within North Carolina, with authorities moving enforcement activity around Raleigh and into immigrant-heavy suburbs. Those shifts have, by local accounts, intensified uncertainty for families, for employees who work in customer-facing roles, and for schools that rely on steady attendance for funding and programming.
Economic ramifications are already evident in small retail and service sectors. Stores that once relied on steady foot traffic reported diminished customers. Restaurateurs and shop owners have temporarily closed to avoid possible encounters. Analysts and community advocates caution that reduced patronage and worker absences could ripple across local supply chains and labor markets, though the full scope of any longer-term economic impact remains uncertain.
Beyond measurable school and business effects, the crackdown has strained community trust in public institutions and in day-to-day civic engagement. Protests and organizing outside commercial properties reflect a broader civic response, while legal advocates and local organizers are documenting cases and offering assistance. Federal officials said the focus is on individuals without lawful status and on those with alleged criminal records, but public details remain limited.
Just days after the North Carolina effort began, reporting indicated that Border Patrol agents were expected to deploy to New Orleans to prepare for a two-month operation in southeast Louisiana set to begin in earnest on Dec. 1. Around 250 federal border agents are slated for that deployment, according to documents and people familiar with the plan. Gregory Bovino is reported to be the commander assigned to head the Louisiana sweep.
The Associated Press reporting drew on contributions from multiple field reporters. For now, federal officials have declined to provide additional operational details beyond general statements about target categories. Communities and business owners are preparing for continued enforcement activity while local leaders and advocates seek greater transparency about who is being detained and how neighborhoods and local economies will be supported. Upcoming actions include the planned New Orleans deployment beginning Dec. 1 and continuing oversight questions about how and where federal agencies will carry out future enforcement.
Rachel Vaughn serves as a Senior Correspondent for Just Right News, where she leads the network’s coverage of Global Health, Climate, and Development. With a career defined by intellectual rigor and a commitment to principled reporting, Rachel provides a vital conservative perspective on some of the most complex and high-stakes issues facing the world today. Her work is characterized by a refusal to accept bureaucratic narratives at face value, focusing instead on how international policies impact national sovereignty, individual liberty, and the American taxpayer.
Raised in New Haven, Connecticut, Rachel grew up in an environment dominated by elite academic discourse. This upbringing provided her with a front-row seat to the inner workings of the American establishment, but it also instilled in her a healthy skepticism of the “ivory tower” consensus. She learned early on that while academic theories may sound promising in a lecture hall, they often fail to account for the practical realities of the working class. This background drives her to bridge the gap between high-level policy discussions and the common-sense concerns of everyday citizens, ensuring that her reporting remains grounded and accessible.
Now based in Burlington, Vermont, Rachel operates from a unique vantage point within one of the nation’s most progressive political landscapes. Living and working in a region that often serves as a testing ground for radical social and environmental experiments allows her to witness the real-world consequences of these policies firsthand. From her base in the Green Mountain State, she provides Just Right News readers with essential “boots on the ground” reporting, documenting the friction between local mandates and the constitutional freedoms of the individual. Her presence in Burlington ensures that her critiques of globalist agendas are informed by a direct understanding of how those ideologies manifest at the local level.
In her acclaimed feature series, “Planetary Stakes,” Rachel explores the intersection of international development and environmental stewardship. She rejects the alarmism often found in mainstream media, opting instead for a sober analysis of the economic and geopolitical costs of global climate agreements. Her reporting frequently highlights the importance of market-driven innovation and the role of American leadership in fostering global health without ceding authority to unelected international bodies. Through “Planetary Stakes,” she has become a leading voice for those who believe that true conservation and public health are best achieved through transparency, accountability, and the protection of private property rights.
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