Charlotte Descends Into Chaos as Federal Immigration Raids Intensify
The streets of Charlotte, North Carolina have transformed into a battleground as federal immigration agents continue their intensified enforcement operations, prompting widespread business closures and community protests. The situation escalated dramatically when border patrol officers descended on the city over the weekend of November 19, 2025, as part of what the Department of Homeland Security has dubbed "Operation Charlotte's Web."
Community Response: Shutdowns and Solidarity
Along Central Avenue, the heart of Charlotte's immigrant community, Manolo's Bakery has become a symbol of resistance. The owner made the difficult decision to close his establishment to protect staff from potential targeting by immigration authorities. His action sparked a chain reaction, with most other shops along the busy commercial strip following suit.
Dozens of protesters have established camp in the bakery's parking lot, waving signs in support of immigrants. The scene has become increasingly tense as ICE and Border Patrol agents conduct visible patrols through the area, sometimes met by local residents honking car horns to warn others of their presence.
The impact has extended far beyond the immediate immigrant community. Chef Ammalu Saleh, an American citizen who runs Serenbeti Kitchen, reported being unable to obtain halal lamb from Costco because delivery drivers - many from the targeted demographic - have stopped working. "I feel most of the drivers are in the targeted population, so that is the issue," she explained.
Personal Stories: Fear and Injustice
The human cost of the operations became starkly evident through the experience of Gerardo Ortiz, a Puerto Rican and therefore born American citizen with a Spanish accent. Ortiz reported being detained twice by federal agents - once on Saturday and again on Sunday - while protesting with the group supporting immigrants.
"They come out from two vans and they tied my hands behind my back and they was telling me: 'Give me your ID' - but I got my hands behind my back," Ortiz recounted. Agents transported him 20 blocks away and held him in a parking lot before releasing him.
"I felt like I lose my liberty in that moment," he said, describing how he cried like a baby when he returned home. "I was so nervous when I got home. It's so terrible." Some of his friends have disappeared in the enforcement raids, he added.
Education and Social Services Disrupted
The enforcement actions have reached deeply into community institutions, including an attempt to raid OurBridge, an after-school programme serving children from countries including Tanzania. The programme's director condemned the action in an Instagram message, stating that ICE/CBP's presence had only one goal: "instill fear, sending a message to us, our families, and to Charlotte's immigrant community."
The programme has suspended services indefinitely, with staff no longer available for media comments. Similarly, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district experienced massive absenteeism, with over 30,000 students missing school on Monday compared to the usual 9,000-10,000 absences.
Teacher Sandra Speight reported that half of her special-needs class was absent. "Three of those students out of my six are Hispanic and have told me that they are fearful to come out," she said. One mother refuses to bring her blind and autistic daughter to school until she feels safe.
Official Responses and Community Solidarity
Local authorities have pushed back against the federal operations. The Mecklenburg county commissioners passed a resolution supporting the immigrant community and demanding that Customs and Border Protection and ICE notify the county about any arrests. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg police department clarified that its officers are not authorised to assist with ICE administrative warrants.
DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended the operations, stating: "Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens hurting them, their families, or their neighbors. We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed."
Meanwhile, community members like Beth Clements, who fosters unaccompanied minors who crossed the US-Mexico border, described the situation as "about cruelty, from the administration down. This is about hatred, racism and cruelty."
Manolo Betancur, owner of the closed bakery, captured the community's determination: "I'm not going to risk the integrity of my customers, my friends, my employees and my own integrity. There are no colors here, man. There's just one community here." Despite Thanksgiving being his busiest season, he vows to remain closed until his community feels safe again.
