RALEIGH, N.C. — A federal immigration enforcement operation expanded to the area around North Carolina’s capital on Tuesday, sowing fear in immigrant communities as restaurants shuttered and streets emptied in a major suburb. The crackdown, which began over the weekend in Charlotte where more than 130 people were arrested, has drawn sharp criticism from local leaders.
Confirmed Operations and Official Response
At a Raleigh City Council meeting, Mayor Janet Cowell confirmed sightings of Border Patrol officers in Wake County, which includes Raleigh, and nearby Durham County. She acknowledged not knowing the operation’s full scale or duration.
“And just be particularly kind to your neighbors today,” Cowell added, while encouraging residents to contact police if they felt unsafe and urging protesters to remain peaceful.
Federal officials have justified the crackdowns as a necessary measure to reduce crime, a claim contested by local leaders in both Charlotte and Raleigh who note that crime rates are already down. Authorities have also criticized limited local cooperation with immigration enforcement in some jurisdictions.
Anxiety and Economic Impact in Cary
In Cary, a diverse Raleigh suburb where nearly 20% of the population is foreign-born, anxiety spread rapidly in the absence of official information.
The palpable fear disrupted daily life. The usually bustling Chatham Square shopping center, home to numerous ethnic restaurants, was quiet, with many establishments closed. Parking lots at popular grocery stores were nearly empty.
Pamela Hoile, a local resident, recorded video of Border Patrol agents detaining four workers at a construction site, describing herself as a “very outraged, horrified and concerned citizen.”
Esmeralda Angel’s family chose to close their restaurant, the Esmeralda Grill, to protect customers from potential confrontations. “Taco Tuesday is the busy day for all of these restaurants,” Angel said. “But I think everyone would rather close than operate.”
Political Condemnation and Community Panic
The operation was met with strong political opposition. U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee, a Democrat representing the region, condemned the deployment as “a profound abuse of power, a violation of civil rights and a stain on our democracy.”
The crackdown has sent ripples of panic through the region’s large and growing South Asian community. Satish Garimella, the mayor pro tempore of Morrisville—where close to half of the 30,000 residents are Asian—advised community members to carry identification documents.
“You just don’t know when you will be questioned and what things are needed,” said Garimella, a naturalized U.S. citizen who grew up in India.
North Carolina: A Surprising Target
The focus on North Carolina marks a shift from previous immigration crackdowns in politically liberal cities like Los Angeles and Chicago. While North Carolina’s governor and big-city mayors are Democrats, they are not known for high-profile national battles with the White House.
The state has, however, been drawn into national debates on crime and immigration. The Trump administration has highlighted incidents like a fatal stabbing in Charlotte, though the suspect was a U.S. citizen, and pointed to so-called sanctuary policies.
The Department of Homeland Security claims about 1,400 immigration detainers have gone unhonored in North Carolina since October 2020. In contrast, a spokesperson for the state’s Republican party welcomed the federal action, stating it showed failures by “radical Democrats will finally be taken seriously.”
