North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein issued a video statement Sunday criticizing what he described as aggressive and inappropriate actions by federal immigration agents operating in Charlotte. Stein said residents want to feel safe in their communities and urged Customs and Border Protection to focus on targeting criminals.
“But the actions of too many federal agents are doing the exact opposite in Charlotte,” Stein said. “We’ve seen masked, heavily armed agents in paramilitary garb driving unmarked cars, targeting American citizens based on their skin color, racially profiling, and picking up random people in parking lots and off of our sidewalks — going after landscapers simply decorating a Christmas tree in someone’s front yard and entering churches and stores to grab people. This is not making us safer, it’s stoking fear and dividing our community.”
Stein thanked Charlotte residents for remaining peaceful amid reports of enforcement activity and encouraged people to document any interactions with CBP when it is safe to do so.