The organization went from seeing eight calls a week to 15.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. โ Four months after a sweeping federal immigration operation rattled Charlotte’s immigrant neighborhoods, community advocates say fear has not faded โ and a reported increase in traffic stops involving federal agents is keeping tensions high.
Operation Charlotte’s Web, a federal immigration sweep, led to hundreds of arrests across the city within days. The impact was immediate and widespread: entire neighborhoods went quiet, schools reported massive absences, and workers stayed home rather than risk being stopped.
“As we know, businesses had to shut down, the streets were deserted, people weren’t just leaving their house,” said Paola Garcia, a spokesperson for Camino, a Charlotte-based nonprofit that serves the immigrant community.
While U.S. Border Patrol agents have since departed, Immigration and Customs Enforcement continues to operate in Mecklenburg County as part of its regular duties. Nonprofit leaders at Camino and the Carolina Migrant Network say they are now seeing an increase in traffic stops involving federal agents โ a trend they say is reigniting fear among specific communities.
“We’ve gotten a lot of calls of unmarked vehicles that still have your typical police lights, and might even have sirens, that are pulling vehicles over,” said MJ Espinosa, Director of Strategy at the Carolina Migrant Network.
Garcia said transportation remains one of the most pressing concerns for community members navigating daily life under continued enforcement pressure.
“Another big barrier is driving โ the ability to be on the roads,” Garcia said.
Espinosa emphasized the importance of knowing one’s legal rights during any encounter with law enforcement. She encouraged immigrants to ask to see a warrant if agents indicate they are looking for a specific person and want to make a detention.
“I think something simple that we can all do โ I think everyone has a cellphone โ just record the interaction as much as you can,” Espinosa said. She also urged people to save the organization’s hotline number and to submit footage if they witness a stop occurring.
Both Camino and the Carolina Migrant Network are encouraging community members to educate themselves on their rights and available resources.
For more information or to report an incident, the organizations can be reached through their websites. Their joint hotline number is 704-740-7737.
