Two Charlotte women are suing the federal government for violating their constitutional rights, eight months after they faced a violent arrest during the operation. Charlotte's Web carried out in November by the Border Patrol.
The federal claim was filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) on behalf of Tatyana Reisini and Kristen Ross.
Charlotte's two mothers were followed, cornered by federal agents, threatened at gunpoint, and arrested on November 17, 2025, after being stopped at observe and document the conduct of the agents during the operation.
The FTCA allows individuals to sue the federal government for injuries caused by its illegal conduct. federal agents.
On Monday, July 20, lawyers for the Southeast Social Justice Coalition (SCSJ) sent a notification of the claims The lawsuit is against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Immigration and Border Protection (CBP). The amount is $3 million.
“The agents broke the windows of Reisini’s vehicle, and both women were detained for hours and criminally charged with assaulting a federal agent. The U.S. Attorney’s Office voluntarily dismissed those charges approximately three and a half months later,” the SCSJ stated in a release.
The women were on their way to the Christmas show at the Bojangles Coliseum when they were intercepted by immigration agents, who chased them to a dead-end street, where someone managed to film the violent arrest from their window.
The video was widely shared online, accumulating almost nine million views on Facebook alone.
Violation of their rights
According to SCSJ, the charges against the officers include assault, injury, unlawful detention, wrongful arrest, malicious prosecution, and violations of women's rights protected by the First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments.
“The federal government must be held accountable for the abusive and illegal conduct of its agents,” said Janki Kaneria, a justice reform attorney at the Durham-based SCSJ. “The video showing the agents’ outrageous behavior speaks for itself,” she added.
For his part, Jake Sussman, senior legal advisor for Justice System Reform at the SCSJ, described the officers' behavior as "abusive, intimidating, and dangerous."
“We are proud of our clients for their courage in standing up for themselves and others who have suffered this type of abuse,” he said.
The lawyers said that Roos could receive $1.25 million and Reisini, who was driving the vehicle that the officers damaged, would receive $1,250,411.
Related: Class action lawsuit over illegal arrests during immigration raids in North Carolina
Physical and psychological damage
According to the claim, both women suffered physical, psychological, and emotional harm due to their arrests and their consequences.
“They were threatened, pursued, assaulted at gunpoint, handcuffed and arrested on baseless charges, and then spent months obtaining legal counsel, gathering evidence and living in fear of a federal criminal trial,” it states.
Reisini and Roos, worried they were being pursued by federal agents angered by seeing them wandering around Charlotte neighborhoods, called 911 for help. While still on the phone with 911, Reisini and Roos were cornered by agents on a dead-end street in a neighborhood on Kilgo Way.
“There, an officer proceeded to break the window on Reisini’s side with his weapon, leaving glass on her body and inside the vehicle, then they were taken out and their hands were tied and detained for several hours. Ross had just come out of surgery at the time of the arrest, adding to the trauma,” the SCSJ said.
Related: “Worker’s Eye”: New map tracking immigration raids in North Carolina
They feared for their safety
The arrest was celebrated by Greg Bovino, the Border Patrol commander, which “left Tatyana and Kristen very concerned for their safety and that of their families,” the complaint says.
This arrest occurred during the week-long Operation “Charlotte’s Web” that began on Saturday, November 15, with nearly 200 agents. armed and masked CBP officers deployed around the city, causing terror and fear.
Immigrant families kept their children at home, but many Charlotte residents responded by supporting their immigrant neighbors. According to DHS, more than 430 people were detained that week.
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