Groups that monitor immigration operations in North Carolina confirmed sightings and arrests made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents over the weekend, mainly in Charlotte.
According to reports from the organization Siembra NC, the arrests They occurred on Sunday, June 28 in Charlotte, and on Saturday, June 27 in Durham, Charlotte, Reidsville, Duplin, Mount Holly and Graham.
“We believe this could be a statewide operation. We don’t know how long it will last, but according to reports from various regions of the state, it appears that agents were mobilized from Charlotte or other states,” Andreina Malki said on the organization’s Facebook page.
Enlace Latino NC He asked ICE about these arrests to find out if it was a operating massive or if it was due to an increase in its force of agents in North Carolina.
“We conduct law enforcement operations daily, 7 days a week,” Lindsay Williams, spokesperson for ICE, told us.
Similar patterns
The organization indicated that the operations “appear to have been carried out in different parts of the state, and have similar patterns”:
- SUV without identification and with tinted windows.
- Agents dressed in civilian clothes with green or brown tactical vests, and their faces covered.
- ICE or DHS insignia visible on vests.
- Operations took place during the early morning hours, when people were heading to the work.
- At least two reports suggest that local police initiated traffic stops or checkpoints before the arrival of ICE agents.
Operations in Charlotte
The organization said that on the morning of Sunday, June 28, it received calls on its hotline about the presence of ICE agents at gas stations and in neighborhoods near the South Boulevard corridor.
Three verified situations in Charlotte
At least three situations shared on social media by community members were verified by the organization:
7:30 am: a detained person at Oak Park Apartments on Nations For Rd. The officers were traveling in a white Durango and a gray Ford Fusion.
7:30 am: An arrest was made on South Blvd, north of E. Arrowood Rd., where a black pickup truck with South Carolina license plates was abandoned.
8:45 am: Our investigators responded to an active situation at the Citgo 76 gas station at Archdale and South Blvd. Several officers attempted to arrest a resident. They eventually released him. The suspects were traveling in a blue Ford SUV and a gray Dodge Durango.
The immigrant turned out to be a naturalized Honduran, who was interviewed by the local media outlet Progreso Hispano News and also shared his experience in a video made by a member of the community and posted on Facebook.
“They took me out of the car and told me they were going to arrest me. They asked me if I had documents and I told them yes, that I am a citizen,” the Honduran man said.
The Honduran man was able to prove it with his US passport, but this was not enough, as they told him that he had an arrest warrant in Mecklenburg from 2019, but he told them that this had happened, but that the case had already been closed.
Related: “Worker’s Eye”: New map tracking immigration raids in North Carolina
Honduran man tried to flee, but was captured
According to information received in Enlace Latino NC One of the arrests that occurred shortly before 7:00 am on Sunday was of a Honduran immigrant who was on his way to work accompanied by his 15-year-old stepson.
The source said that the immigrant was at the Quick Trip gas station on South Boulevard, and when they left they realized they were being followed in a white Durango truck.
“The father stopped briefly to let his stepson out of the car, then ran off to hide. He continued driving and later stopped again, jumping out of his vehicle to try to escape, but was captured shortly after,” the source said.
The arrest was captured on video by a member of the community. The source said the Honduran man, whose name they asked not to be mentioned, has a wife and four children, three of whom are minors.
“His family doesn’t yet know where he is, but they believe he will be transferred to Georgia today,” he said.
Arrests in various cities across the state
Siembra NC He reported that on Saturday, June 27, he also received several reports of ICE activity and several arrests in different parts of North Carolina.
Confirmed reports:
Durham (6:50 am): At least one person was detained by a group of agents traveling in approximately five vehicles (three SUVs with tinted windows and two pickup trucks). The agents wore tactical vests, their faces were covered, and at least one had "ICE" written on his vest.
Charlotte (approximately 7:00 am): A verified video on social media from the Arrowood Rd. area shows ICE agents wearing green tactical vests and with their faces covered making an arrest.
Reidsville, Rockingham County (approximately 8:00 am): A witness reported that the incident began with a police driver's license checkpoint. Plainclothes officers later arrived and arrested at least two people.
Duplin County (8:15 am): An ICE agent wearing a green tactical vest and with his face covered stopped a work van. It is unclear if anyone was arrested.
Mount Holly, Gaston County, (approximately 10 am): ICE agents wearing green tactical vests and with their faces covered arrested a man after violently removing him from his work truck.
Graham, Alamance County (10 am): After a traffic stop to check licenses conducted by Graham police, three unmarked SUVs with tinted windows arrived, carrying plainclothes agents wearing vests that read “ICE.” At least two people were detained. The agents demanded proof of immigration status and threatened to arrest a passenger who was a U.S. citizen.
You may be interested: What does the Supreme Court ruling mean that would facilitate deportation processes for some permanent residents?
Where to report
You can call to report ICE sightings and detentions, which will be verified by the following organizations:
NC Sowing: 336-543-0353
Collective Community: 704-740-7737
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