Around 200 people protested outside a Home Depot in east Charlotte Wednesday as U.S. Customs and Border Protection continues its immigration operation.
Protesters gathered outside the Home Depot on Wendover Road, holding signs that read “ICE Out of Home Depot,” “Diversity Makes Us Great” and “We Stand With Immigrants.” The demonstration comes after multiple sightings of CBP agents at the store throughout the week.
Samara Saldivar with the Carolina Migrant Network said her organization has tracked reports from across Charlotte.
“From guns being drawn on pedestrians, windows broken at restaurants and U.S. citizens being detained and later released, it is clear that CBP’s main mission is to disrupt public safety and everyday life in Charlotte,” Saldivar said.
Former Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts was also at the protest.
“It’s time for them to leave,” Roberts said. “We need business to get back to normal. We need our schools to be able to educate our children.”
The Carolina Migrant Network says it has received thousands of calls reporting CBP activity in Charlotte. Over 250 people have been arrested so far in Charlotte, officials say. There is still no word on when agents will leave the city.
