Where things stand
• Federal agents are in Raleigh today as the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration blitz continues across the nation.
• Federal agents were also seen across Charlotte yesterday, with business owners saying they were spotted at a laundromat and a bakery.
• At least 130 people have been arrested in Charlotte since the crackdown began last weekend, spearheaded by Customs and Border Protection and dubbed Operation Charlotte’s Web.
Charlotte businesses quiet after closing doors
Many Charlotte businesses sit quiet this morning — their doors closed after federal agents descended on the area.
Manolo’s bakery, which closed on Saturday after agents chased and tackled people outside the business, remains closed today.
The owner, Manuel “Manolo” Betancur, told CNN that the bakery has only closed its doors once before in the past 28 years. That was for an afternoon when its founder passed away.
But then border patrol came to town, prompting the business to close again.
Flyers spotted on the door of the bakery read in part “Your community stands with you! Immigrants make America great.”
Betancur says he isn’t sure when the store will reopen.
“I need to protect my customers. I need to protect my people. I need to protect myself and my family,” he said.
Other businesses nearby have also closed their doors, leaving many of the surrounding streets silent.
Raleigh mayor urges residents to "maintain peace and respect"
The mayor of Raleigh expects Customs and Border Protection agents to be active in the city today, she said in a statement to CNN.
The Raleigh Police Department has not participated in any immigration planning activities, the mayor said.
Cowell urged the community to “remember our values and maintain peace and respect through any upcoming challenges.”
Around 15% of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools students missed school Monday
Around 15% of students enrolled in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools were absent Monday amid the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration blitz in Charlotte, a statement from the district to CNN affiliate WSOC said.
“Daily attendance is unofficial data until finalized and approved by the state. Unofficial attendance data from today indicates that approximately 20,935 students were absent from school today,” the statement said.
“The number of students absent today varied across our 185 schools and across various student groups.”
Federal immigration agents aim to begin Raleigh crackdown as soon as today, mayor says
Federal immigration agents are on the ground in Raleigh, North Carolina, with plans to conduct operations as early as Tuesday, Mayor Janet Cowell told CNN affiliate WRAL.
Federal authorities haven’t shared who they’re targeting or given any clear timeline for when their operations might be finished, she told the outlet in a phone interview Monday.
CNN has reached out to the mayor’s office for details.
“We didn’t ask for this presence … We feel like the Raleigh police are doing a great job here locally,” Cowell said, noting local police will be doing normal patrols in the community.
The move comes as the Department of Homeland Security recently turned its attention to Charlotte, North Carolina, where at least 130 people have been detained since the weekend in an immigration enforcement effort. At least 44 of those arrested had criminal records, according to DHS.
Here’s the latest on immigration enforcement across the country
Federal agents are in Raleigh today as the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration blitz continues.
After days of federal enforcement in Charlotte, North Carolina, local Democrats lambasted the Trump administration for agents’ aggressive tactics, which have put the community on high alert.
Here’s the latest on the federal crackdown:
- In Raleigh: A state lawmaker said they were told the activity in Raleigh will be much smaller than what’s underway in Charlotte.
- Charlotte crackdown ongoing: It is unclear when Border Patrol agents will leave Charlotte, Sheriff Garry McFadden said. Over 130 people were arrested by federal agents in an immigration operation over the weekend.
- Charlotte officials slam action: Mayor Vi Lyles called on federal agents to respect people’s rights, while City Council member James Mitchell Jr. said he feels “helpless.”
- State GOP maintains support: North Carolina’s Republican Party praised the enforcement action, saying “the need is real.”
- Charlotte businesses and organizations close doors: A family-run Colombian bakery, which has only closed one other time in its 28-year history, closed Saturday, with the family unsure of when it will reopen. A laundromat owner is staying open, but locking the doors after customers enter to keep them safe. A program for immigrant and refugee children was also suspended after Border Patrol was active at their site.
- Charlotte organizers use tools from other cities: Community organizers that oppose immigration enforcement are using tactics to protect their communities that mirror methods used by organizers in the Chicago area.
- SCOTUS to review Trump asylum policy: The Supreme Court will review a first-term Trump policy that turned away potential asylum seekers before they step foot on American soil.
- Chicago suburb mayor declares emergency: The mayor of Broadview, Illinois, home to a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, declared a civil emergency after receiving a death threat.
- Some troops will be sent home: Some of the National Guard troops deployed in Chicago and Portland are being sent home, a defense official told The Associated Press.
- In Tennessee: A judge blocked the use of the National Guard in Memphis but also put the order on hold, giving the government five days to appeal.
Video shows people running into a Charlotte laundromat
Surveillance video from a Charlotte, North Carolina, laundromat shows people running in through the front door as Customs and Border Protection agents were in the parking lot.
Surveillance video from a Charlotte, North Carolina laundromat shows people running in through the front door as federal agents were in the parking lot. The Department of Homeland Security has begun a targeted blitz in the Charlotte area after conducting similar operations in Los Angeles and Chicago.
