Charlotte residents voiced strong concerns during the Mecklenburg County Commissioners meeting after U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrested more than 130 people in a weekend immigration operation. The raids, part of a nationwide enforcement campaign, have sparked public backlash in Charlotte and other cities as community members question federal tactics and the impact on local neighborhoods.
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.
03:41I'm going to be here to my right.
03:48Who relies on her every day that despite having a work permit, a social security number
03:53Today, the Charlotte I know and love is being terrorized by mass men operating under the authority of the federal government,
04:00but acting in violation to the Constitution and stopping people simply
04:05because of the color of their skin or appearance why do they operate during
04:09the day never at night every one of those stops is a violation of rights
04:15for my people I start to cover him I never had the fear that I have right
04:25now I carry since this weekend my American passport because I'm not sure
04:41that they will respect even that document where we are living right now never
04:49happened during the 40 years that I would have been covering immigration
04:58constitutional rights and for remains steadfast and the first thing that I
05:05remember is that about humanity that we are one that we are all brothers and
05:12sisters and I don't know how this is okay in any way for anyone thank you thank
05:23you to ensure residents have accurate information or support this really hurts
05:34the fabric of our community you've heard already the many contributions that
05:39immigrants in our community makes to our economy I didn't realize it was 12
05:45billion but it's probably even more than that because some is not recorded but I
05:52want each one of you to know that we welcome and respect each one of you and
05:58we're waiting for the day that the world will give you that same respect thank you
06:06student and constitutionally sound process for any enforcement act I'm not
06:13Latino but I'm a human being and I understand humanity and because I'm not
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