Residents of Charlotte, North Carolina voiced strong opposition to federal immigration raids during a Mecklenburg County Board meeting. U.S. Border Patrol officials say more than 130 people were detained over the weekend as part of President Donald Trump’s nationwide mass deportation campaign. Local leaders and residents criticized the aggressive enforcement tactics, saying the raids have created fear in neighborhoods and disrupted families. Federal officials argue the sweep was prompted by Charlotte authorities declining nearly 1,400 immigration detainer requests. The controversy reflects growing national tension over immigration enforcement in both Democratic-led cities and conservative regions.
00:00It further resolved that the board urges the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, whereas immigration policy, regulation, and enforcement to advocate for the well-being, dignity, and constitutional rights.
00:20Nobody here opposes legitimate law enforcement. But it is also plain that these actions were designed to sow terror. They were designed to intimidate.
00:33And I challenge the president, and I challenge federal law enforcement that was in leadership and directed these events to show us the warrant signed by a judge, to show us the probable cause that justified the arrest, and show us the previous criminal conviction that justified each and every one of the 200 seizures that took place.
00:59I don't think you can, but I put the gauntlet down, and show us. Show us where this was legitimate.
01:06I trust the people behind me, because if what we've lived, the past, we didn't want you. You're hurting families. You're hurting education. You're hurting our children. Get out. Border Patrol. Thank you.
01:21If you live in Mecklenburg County, you're less likely to have an attorney.
01:25We are getting phone calls in our ICE hotline of individuals who do not know where their loved ones are, who have been picked up three days ago.
01:37What we're living through right now is unprecedented, but I also want to mention that this is not the first time people have been kidnapped from our street.
01:47It has not been.
01:48It has not been.
01:49It has not been.
01:50Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Mecklenburg Board of-
01:54Violence for political purposes is terrorism.
02:02What is happening in the streets of Mecklenburg County is not public safety. It's not security. It's meant to instill fear. And it's not meant to instill fear in the undocumented population.
02:26It's meant to instill fear in the 20% of residents of Latino heritage that call Mecklenburg County and Charlotte home.
02:33We stood against what was coming, what we knew was coming, the terror that we knew was coming.
02:46We have to realize that this is costing real people their lives. This is costing people their livelihoods. And this is going to cost many people the opportunity to support and sustain themselves as they're hiding out instead of working right now.
03:00It's also an economic hardship on our city. Whatever we can do to stand together as a people, we need to do. Because we're stronger together than apart.
03:11And the justification for such actions. Mecklenburg County will continue.
03:17I just got back from Lumpkin, Georgia, where I was representing a young woman who was 21 years old, who, mind you, had a special immigrant juvenile status from Charlotte, who is sitting in Lumpkin, Georgia, for what reason?
03:30I'm going back next week to represent other people from Charlotte who have been disappeared, ending up 400 plus miles away from their family, their friends, their communities.
03:41...of trailor to my right who relies on her every day that despite having a work permit, a social security number...
03:52...today the Charlotte I know and love is being terrorized by mass men operating under the authority of the federal government, but acting in violation to the constitution,
04:03and stopping people simply because of the color of their skin or appearance.
04:08Why do they operate during the day, never at night?
04:11Every one of those stops is a violation of rights.
04:16For my people, I start to cover.
04:21I never had the fear that I have right now.
04:27I carry, since this weekend, my American passport.
04:39Because I'm not sure that they will respect even that document.
04:46Where we are living right now never happened during the 40 years
04:52that I have been covering immigration.
04:57And the first thing that I remember is that about humanity.
05:08That we are one.
05:10That we are all brothers and sisters.
05:13And I don't know how this is okay in any way for anyone.
05:24To ensure residents have accurate information or support.
05:31This really hurts the fabric of our community.
05:35You've heard already the many contributions that immigrants in our community make to our economy.
05:42I didn't realize it was 12 billion.
05:47But it's probably even more than that because some is not recorded.
05:51But I want each one of you to know that we welcome and respect each one of you.
05:57And we're waiting for the day that the world will give you that same respect.
06:06This is a consistent and constitutionally sound process for any enforcement act.
06:13I'm not Latino.
06:15But I'm a human being.
06:17That's right.
06:18and I understand humanity, and because I'm not here or there, it touches all of us.
06:31Further resolved that the board urges the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE,
06:37U.S. Border Patrol, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, whereas immigration policy,
06:43regulation, and enforcement to advocate for the well-being, dignity, and constitutional
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