North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis' office told WFAE the Department of Homeland Security has not responded to its request for detailed records related to last November’s Border Patrol operation in Charlotte, known as “Operation Charlotte’s Web.”
In a four-page letter sent last month to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Tillis asked her to turn over detailed records from the operation. He requested the information ahead of Noem’s Senate testimony scheduled for Tuesday.
Tillis, in the letter, applauded the arrests of immigrants with criminal records. Still, he also cited media reports that U.S. citizens may have been detained, subjected to force, or had property damaged during the operation.
Federal agents have provided limited information so far about their operations in Charlotte. They have not provided full identification of people they arrested, instead releasing only a few names out of the hundreds taken into custody.
Tillis asked DHS to provide encounter-level data on agents’ interactions with the public, including whether force was used, whether U.S. citizens were involved and how agents justified each stop.