WASHINGTON, D.C. — Over the weekend, the Trump Administration deployed border patrol and ICE agents to conduct raids in Charlotte, North Carolina. Across the city and in largely immigrant neighborhoods, dozens of people were abducted, including U.S. citizens and people simply going about their weekend lives—individuals running errands and shopping, landscapers putting up Christmas decorations, and others going to and from church. 

In protest and in defense of their communities, hundreds of Charlotte residents rallied and marched, calling on the federal agents to get out of the city and leave their families and neighbors in peace. Among those condemning the federal agents’ presence and actions was North Carolina Governor Josh Stein, who said in a statement, “[this is] not making us safer, it’s stoking fear and dividing our community.”  

Said Nicole Melaku, executive director, National Partnership for New Americans: “After witnessing the baseless and unlawful actions of federal agents in Charlotte this weekend, we resoundingly echo the sentiments of Governor Stein: These tactics are not making our communities safer, but sowing fear and chaos. In this raid and others across the country, federal agents have targeted people without warrants using intimidation and aggression, tearing parents from their children and workers from their livelihoods. People have watched in horror as their neighbors and loved ones have been snatched from the places they call home, leaving chaos and trauma in their wake. The residents of Charlotte showed us this weekend what we know it takes for our communities to be safe: Neighbors standing up for neighbors, leaders ensuring people have the resources they need to thrive, and community members looking out for the safety and well-being of those around them.” 

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The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) is a multi-ethnic, multiracial coalition of 88 of the nation’s largest immigrant and refugee rights organizations with reach across over 42 states. Together with our members, we advance immigrant and refugee equity and inclusion, build and expand immigration legal services and integration programming capacity, and drive campaigns that strengthen democracy through increased civic participation. See our website for more information at partnershipfornewamericans.org.