This is a developing story. We will update it as new information becomes available.
Agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are already in Raleigh and “will be active,” Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell told the INDY on Monday night.
The presence of CBP in the Triangle comes on the heels of “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” in which at least 130 people were detained in Charlotte over the weekend.
How many CBP agents and what exactly they’ll be doing in the Triangle, however, is still unclear. As of Tuesday morning, Durham officials were saying they hadn’t received confirmation of planned CBP or ICE activity in Durham, but individuals have reported unconfirmed sightings of agents.
“For those of us that have been following the developments in Charlotte, it can be difficult to hear that these operations, which have already disrupted the lives of so many trying to make their way to work and to school, are being expanded,” a spokesperson from Siembra NC, a statewide immigrant advocacy group, said in a video on social media late Monday night. “But as CBP looks to bring their operations to the Triangle, we know that it will find yet another community ready to ensure that every one of their neighbors is free to live and work safely.”
Why is Border Patrol coming to the Triangle?
The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on potential operations in and around Raleigh, but the actions come as the Trump administration targets blue cities as part of an effort to ramp up deportations.
In recent months, Border Patrol agents have conducted operations in Democrat-run cities far away from the U.S.-Mexico border, including Los Angeles, Chicago, and now Charlotte.
Republicans have pointed to crime in these areas, particularly the Charlotte murder of Iryna Zarutska, to justify the presence of federal agents.
Like Charlotte, violent crime in Durham and Raleigh are down.
Durham has previously been singled out by the Trump administration. Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security labeled Durham a sanctuary jurisdiction. Durham officials denied the characterization, and an online list of jurisdictions that also included neighboring Orange County was taken down. Durham landed in national headlines again when the city council (along with Carrboro’s town council) voted to join area businesses as Fourth Amendment workplaces.
In 2018, five sheriff candidates were elected on pledges to curtail coordination with ICE, including Durham sheriff Clarence Birkhead, Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden, and then Wake sheriff Gerald Baker. Since then, the state legislature has chipped away at sheriffs’ discretion on whether to coordinate with ICE, requiring them to notify the agency before releasing certain people and to hold them for up to 48 hours longer in order for federal officials to take them into custody.
How do we know Border Patrol is coming to the Triangle?
Cowell, the Raleigh mayor, confirmed to the INDY and The Assembly Monday night that “Border Patrol and ICE are already in Raleigh and that they will be active” on Tuesday.
“We have not been informed of nor are we coordinating or helping plan any of this, so we don’t know what activities they’ll be undertaking tomorrow, or really a lot of other details,” Cowell said.
“While the Raleigh Police Department is not involved in immigration enforcement, we are committed to protecting our residents and to following the law,” Cowell said. “… This is a key moment to reaffirm our commitment to serving all members of our community. If you need help from the police, you call 911, and help will come. I ask Raleigh to remember our values and maintain peace and respect through any upcoming challenges.”
Governor Josh Stein told the INDY and The Assembly in a statement his office was “aware of reports” CBP would be in Raleigh.
Siembra NC, which helped lead rapid response to CBP’s operation in Charlotte and created a statewide map of ICE and Border Patrol activity, said in a call-out for volunteers that “we think the reports of Border Patrol traveling to Raleigh tomorrow are credible,” adding Raleigh and Garner appear to be the likeliest targets.
While sources in the legislature briefed by Stein told The Assembly they were unsure if CBP’s activities would be limited to Raleigh, officials in Durham said early Tuesday morning they hadn’t received any confirmation of planned ICE or CBP activity there. A Durham Police Department spokesman told the INDY he had not heard of immigration officials “coming to Durham to conduct an operation like they are in Charlotte.”
On Tuesday morning, Durham commission chair Nida Allam, mayor Leonardo Williams and school board chair Bettina Umstead issued a joint statement that affirmed the city’s commitment to protecting immigrants but did not address whether Durham would be targeted.
“We haven’t received official word/confirmation of any planned ICE or CBP activity in Durham, but we know even having them right next door to us in Wake is causing unwanted and unnecessary stress and fear to our communities,” Allam wrote to the INDY Tuesday morning. “Many Durham County residents work in Wake County and many Wake County residents work in Durham. We are one Triangle and we are great because of our diversity and it is appalling that this administration is instilling fear that causes families to be concerned for their safety for simply going to work, dropping their kids at school, getting groceries or even going to church.”
What are local officials saying?
On Tuesday morning, Durham commission chair Nida Allam, mayor Leonardo Williams and school board chair Bettina Umstead issued a joint statement that affirmed the city’s commitment to protecting immigrants but did not address whether Durham would be targeted.
The Wake County Public Schools System issued a statement Tuesday stating the district does not ask for or record information about students’ and families’ immigration status and sharing resources for talking to children about difficult news.
“Building leaders have been reminded of the procedures that law enforcement agencies must follow when interacting with students on campus,” the statement reads. “If law enforcement seeks access to a school, we will consult with legal counsel to ensure compliance with applicable laws.”
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