Originally published in the Summer/Fall 2025 edition of the Virginia Defender, issue 77, printed December 11. Reproduced here for accessibility and archival purposes. To find other stories in the Summer/Fall 2025 issue or to download the full PDF, see this post. For other issues dating back to 2012, see the Full Issues page.

By Harley Salmen

In November, Charlotte, N.C., became another target of the government’s anti-immigrant terror campaign. The operation dubbed Charlotte’s Web lasted from Nov. 16 to Nov. 20 and led to 425- plus people being kidnapped, according to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson on Dec. 3.

These numbers don’t begin to detail the thousands who are impacted by their loved one’s disappearance and the fear and chaos that ensued in communities across Charlotte.

The presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents resulted in 30,000 students being absent from classes on Nov. 17 – more than 20% of all students enrolled in the district, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Many businesses shut down, including the beloved Manolo’s Bakery, which closed its doors for the first time in 28 years because of CBP raids and concerns about community safety.

CBP claims to be targeting criminals and undocumented immigrants, yet it has largely been going after people based on their race/ethnicity and the language they speak, which has resulted in multiple U.S. citizens being detained.

It appears that CBP is continuing to build on its racist, xenophobic narrative that immigrants are dangerous, unproductive, and drain “our” resources.

The people of Charlotte have shown up and shown out to send a message that ICE is not welcome in Charlotte, and that they will keep their immigrant communities safe.

After the announcement of Manolo’s Bakery’s closing, people gathered at the bakery in solidarity, standing on the side of the road with signs, flags and music to show support for immigrant businesses.

Manolo’s bloomed during this time into a community spot for those protesting CBP’s presence in Charlotte. The bakery is just one of many businesses impacted on Charlotte’s East Side. The hundreds of people who showed up in the days following its closure were standing with all immigrant businesses and immigrant community members forced to stay in their homes to avoid the kidnappings.

The empty classrooms did not go unnoticed either. On Nov. 18, according to WBTV, nearly 1,000 students and faculty members at various schools walked out of class to protest the Charlotte’s Web operation. Outside schools, parents and community members have been showing up to perform an ICE Watch at the arrival and dismissal times.

ICE Watch has been happening all around the city, with a big focus on East and South Charlotte, as CBP & ICE were heavily targeting the immigrant communities in those areas.

An East Charlotte native and community member spoke to the Defender about their experience on ICE Watch during the operation. They shared how ICE & CBP did not like to be watched and would tend to disperse when they were being watched by community members.

“Following [CBP] was an active way to disrupt their behavior,” they said.

They also recalled how the usually lively East Charlotte was “like a ghost town, for a good two weeks – every single international store, truck and business closed, and that’s a big part of that side of town, so it just felt desolate.”

While the Charlotte community has been working to keep their city safe, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department did little to protect the communities they claim to serve. City officials offered heartfelt but empty words and little protection to the people of Charlotte.

Charlotte officials, including elected city council members and the Mecklenburg County sheriff, voiced that CBP had not communicated with them about their presence as of Nov. 12, only four days before CBP started its movements in Charlotte.

The confusion didn’t stop there. It was reported that CBP would be closing out its Charlotte’s Web operation and leaving town on Nov. 21. Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden confirmed on Nov. 20 that the agents had left town earlier that day.

However, DHS (Department of Homeland Security) Twitter contradicted this information and stated, “Wrong. Operation Charlotte’s Web isn’t ending anytime soon.”

While DHS is still claiming to be in Charlotte, McFadden has stood by his original statement that agents left, and community reports back up this statement.

Meanwhile, ICE still remains in the area to continue, on a smaller scale, to terrorize immigrant communities.

The people of Charlotte will continue to fight to keep Charlotte safe. There are multiple ways supporters can stand in solidarity, such as supporting fundraisers to oppose CBP & ICE violence.

Two community members who need support are Miguel Garcia Martinez (click this link for Garcia Martinez’s Go Fund Me) and Cristobal Maltos (click this link for Maltos’ Go Fund Me).

As CBP continues its path of terror in New Orleans, we have learned from all these cities that what has kept people safe is turning into a community.

One thing is for sure: Charlotte has not cowered in fear, but has shown that ICE melts under Southern heat.