Amna Nawaz:
Charlotte, North Carolina, is the latest city to be targeted by the Trump administration as part of its crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
Our William Brangham has more on how local officials are responding to Border Patrol agents on the city streets.
William Brangham:
Amna, at least 130 people were arrested this weekend as part of the crackdown, which Border Patrol officials have named Charlotte’s Web after the children’s novel.
Officers have already come under fire from the city’s residence. One man had his truck windows smashed by agents, despite the fact that he was an American citizen. Local residents recorded agents questioning local landscapers about their immigration status.
So, for more on how the city is responding, we are joined now by George Dunlap. He serves as a commissioner for Mecklenburg County, which includes the city of Charlotte.
Commissioner Dunlap, thank you so much for being here.
Can you just tell us, what is the latest, as far as you know, about these ICE raids in your community?
George Dunlap, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Commissioner:
Well, the latest is that the ICE raids continue.
As a result of that, people continue to be sheltered in their homes, almost as if though they are prisoners. People are oftentimes intimidated because of the tactics of the ICE agents. And it’s just wreaking havoc in our community.
One of the things I will tell you is that Charlotte spent more than 25 years developing community policing. And it’s working in our community. That’s when community and police collaborate, working together to reduce crime in our community. And it seems as if, though, in a matter of a few hours, ICE agents has turned that into rubble.
William Brangham:
In the last few days, the man who is running these operations, Gregory Bovino, has been posting photographs of some of the people that they allege that they have been arresting. And they’re saying that these people are guilty of crimes, like DUIs, hit-and-runs, aggravated assaults.
And they’re arguing these people should be removed from your community and you should be grateful for this. What is your response to that?
George Dunlap:
Well, my thought is that, if Border Patrol, ICE agents were doing their jobs, they would be at the border, stopping people from crossing, as they suggested that they would do.
Nobody’s upset at the fact that they go after hardened criminals, but we have not heard any information about hardened criminals that they have arrested, none at all. I just can’t help but believe that they’re here to wreak havoc on the community, to divide families.
People are hurting, people are upset. This community is not accustomed to that. Out of respect, I think they owe the community leaders an opportunity to engage and have conversation. If they really, really wanted to reduce crime in our community, then they should have a target focus and at least let us know what it is that they’re trying to do.
It’s possible that they could get help if they really wanted to go after hardened criminals, but that’s not what they’re doing.
William Brangham:
So you’re not getting communication either on their operations, who it is that they’re specifically targeting, or the people that they have been apprehending?
George Dunlap:
None at all.
And, as we have discussed it, a lot of the elected officials have been discussing why that is the case. And we believe that it’s primarily because most of the elected officials in Charlotte are of African American descent.
William Brangham:
And you think that it’s simply because you are Black Americans and most likely, I believe, Democrats that the administration is choosing not to cooperate?
George Dunlap:
Absolutely.
William Brangham:
Can you tell me a little bit more? I know this is a community in Charlotte in particular that has quite a few foreign-born residents.
And you described the fact that people are sheltering in place right now. What else are you hearing from people about the mood on the streets?
George Dunlap:
Well, we have businesses that have closed down because they don’t want their customers to come out and be subjected to brutality, the people who own laundromats closing them down because they don’t want customers to come out and be subjugated to this brutality, grocery store owners closing down, kids not showing up at school, churches not having church service for fear that border agents and ICE agents will just show up.
William Brangham:
As you know, there was a brutal stabbing of the Ukrainian woman, not by an immigrant, but several months ago. And many Republicans pointed to that as evidence that your city was a lawless, dangerous place to be.
Do you think that’s partly also why you were chosen?
George Dunlap:
Absolutely not.
Crimes of that nature happen all across this country every day. That was an unfortunate situation where a person who had mental illness committed that act. You can’t say that that represents our community. We have a loving community, as evident by the support that we provide to those people who are immigrants.
They are part of the fabric of our community. They are part of that economic engine. So, no, I wouldn’t suggest that that’s true at all.
William Brangham:
But you don’t think that was an excuse that was used to then send these agents in?
George Dunlap:
Well, that may be the excuse that they use, but I would say that’s invalid.
William Brangham:
All right, Commissioner George Dunlap, thank you so much for being here. We really appreciate you taking the time.
George Dunlap:
Well, thank you.
