A
group of mostly Democratic leaders from across Mecklenburg County says
they still have no real answers from the federal government about the
Border Patrol deployment to Charlotte. 

Leaders from across Mecklenburg County held a press conference Friday
morning to address reports of Border Patrol launching operations,
possibly as soon as Saturday. While leaders didn’t have a response from
the federal government, they shared a unified message of calm, support
and protection for everyone in the Charlotte area. 

Local and state leaders stood alongside community activists outside the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center to address concerned residents about the operation. The group says the lack of transparency from the feds is dangerous and is calling the Border Patrol deployment a political move that’s creating fear in Charlotte’s immigrant community. 

“We saw this before in Chicago, where federal actions left families broken and trust shattered,” JD Mazuera Arias, who was elected to represent District 5 on the Charlotte City Council, said. “We will not allow Charlotte to follow that same path.”

Gov. Josh Stein released a statement on the matter Friday afternoon.

“Public safety is the top priority for all of us in government – that means fighting crime, not stoking fear or causing division. We should all focus on and arrest violent criminals and drug traffickers. Unfortunately, that’s not always what we have seen with ICE and Border Patrol Agents in Chicago and elsewhere around the country. The vast majority of people they have detained have no criminal convictions, and some are American citizens.”
“I want to encourage North Carolinians to remember our values. We follow the law. We remain peaceful. We do not allow ourselves to be provoked. We stand with our neighbors. And when we see injustice, we bear witness. If you see any inappropriate behavior, use your phones to record and notify local law enforcement, who will continue to keep our communities safe long after these federal agents leave. That’s the North Carolina way.”North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein