Charlotte city leaders plan next steps to address Border Patrol's NC operation

Mary Ramsey, The Charlotte Observer on Nov 17, 2025

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Charlotte city leaders pledged Monday to look for short-term money for groups helping people affected by U.S. Border Patrol’s operations in the city.

A Charlotte City Council committee voted unanimously to direct City Manager Marcus Jones to collaborate with Mecklenburg County to find money in the next week. The committee also unanimously directed city staff to work on a public education campaign about available resources for immigrant communities and people’s rights when interacting with Border Patrol and other federal immigration officials.

“We need to show a sense of urgency,” committee chair Dimple Ajmera said.

The committee, which is focused on budget, governance and intergovernmental relations, also discussed proposals by the progressive group Action NC, including denying Border Patrol access to city property. Members of the group and other organizations, including Indivisible Charlotte and CharlotteEAST packed the committee meeting after a social media callout.

But city staff said Charlotte is legally limited in what it can do to limit federal officials’ reach.

“Our chief opportunity here is education,” City Attorney Andrea Leslie-Fite said.

What is Border Patrol doing in Charlotte?

Border Patrol began arresting people across the Charlotte area Saturday, days after national news outlets reported agents were coming to North Carolina from a controversial weekslong operation in Chicago.

Agents in Charlotte wore masks and paramilitary gear, taking people from public places. Hundreds protested against the operation in uptown Saturday, and many businesses in targeted corridors announced temporary closures.

The Department of Homeland Security said Monday Border Patrol arrested more than 130 people in and around Charlotte over the weekend.

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, Mecklenburg County Commission Chair Mark Jerrell and Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board chair Stephanie Sneed issued a joint statement Saturday saying Border Patrol’s arrival had caused “unnecessary fear and uncertainty in our community.”

The North Carolina and Mecklenburg County Republican parties both expressed support for Border Patrol in weekend statements, saying the operation will improve public safety.

What is the city of Charlotte doing about Border Patrol?

Ajmera said at Monday’s committee meeting that Border Patrol’s actions in Charlotte are causing “community chaos.”

Fellow committee member James “Smuggie” Mitchell said the weekend news left him feeling “helpless.” He noted some local businesses are closing while Border Patrol is in Charlotte or reporting many employees calling out of work out of fear. Mitchell predicted that will have an “economic impact” on the city.

Council member LaWana Slack-Mayfield said Charlotte is more limited in what it can do in response to Border Portal than Chicago because North Carolina is a “Dillon rule” state while Illinois is a “home rule state.” The distinction means Chicago’s mayor had broader powers to respond to Border Patrol’s presence in his city than Lyles has in Charlotte.

“The people that we elect in the North Carolina General Assembly are the ones who create the rules, and those are also some of the individuals that thought it was a great idea to invite this chaos to our city,” Mayfield said.

Republican state House Speaker Destin Hall claimed on social media Monday Border Patrol is in Charlotte due to Mecklenburg Sheriff Garry McFadden’s disputes with ICE and that the agency is “stepping in to clean up his mess and restore safety to the city.”

Monday’s committee vote gave city staff until “on or before Nov. 24” to work with Mecklenburg County “to identify and deploy short-term funding … to organizations actively supporting individuals and neighborhoods affected by recent events.”

Assistant City Manager Shawn Heath noted the tight timeline will likely require the city to adjust its normal procedures for allocating money to community organizations, adding Charlotte made similar moves during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking to reporters after the committee meeting, Lyles said city leaders are “working as hard as we can to provide support” to affected communities. She had no information on where those detained by Border Patrol are being held or how long agents will be in Charlotte.

City leaders also emphasized that residents can call Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police if they’re concerned about the identity of someone who stops them claiming to be Border Patrol.

Action NC political director Robert Dawkins said he’s grateful City Council moved forward with emergency funding. But, he added, many activists are “burnt out” on city leaders citing North Carolina’s “Dillon rule” status when they ask Charlotte for something.

“I think we need to work on some way to get around that excuse by trying to get a home rule exemption for Charlotte,” he told The Charlotte Observer.