Rep. Adams Demands Answers on CBP Operations in Charlotte
WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12) sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem demanding answers for U.S. Customs and Border Patrol’s (CBP) disturbing actions in Charlotte during the agency’s “Operation Charlotte’s Web.” This is the second letter Rep. Adams sent to DHS surrounding their immigration operations in Charlotte. On Friday, November 14, Rep. Adams sent a previous letter to DHS Sec. Kristi Noem and CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott raising concern over the impact CBP operations will have on the Charlotte community.
In her letter, Rep. Adams addressed the troubling operations of federal agents since launching their campaign in Charlotte: “Since November 15, 2025, agents from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have carried out what can only be described as a campaign of terror. Although this operation has been cited as targeting “criminal illegal aliens,” media reports indicate that only a small portion of those arrested have been classified as criminals. While DHS has yet to provide Congress or state and local officials with up-to-date information on these arrests, media sources have shared that more than 370 people have been arrested to date. The lack of transparency surrounding these detainments is deeply troubling, especially given reports of unjust arrests involving individuals with lawful presence in the United States.”
The letter continued by calling attention to the extreme, brutal tactics levied by immigration officials in Charlotte: “[W]e have witnessed cases of federal agents using or threatening to use excessive force against detainees and bystanders, as well as engaging in severe racial profiling. In a widely circulating video, border patrol agents were shown smashing the car window of a U.S. citizen born in Honduras, throwing him to the glass-covered ground, and detaining him after he had already identified himself as a U.S. citizen. Reports also indicate that agents have conducted arrests at integral community spaces, including places of worship, sparking tremendous fear throughout our communities.”
Rep. Adams continued by stressing the economic harm CBP’s operation has caused for Charlotte local businesses: “Because of the paralyzing fear caused by this operation, several small businesses—whose customer bases and workforces include immigrant community members—temporarily closed due to the sharp drop in customers and fear that their businesses will be subject to CBP raids if their doors remained open. The economic consequences for both Charlotte and North Carolina will be severe, as small businesses serve as one of the primary pillars of our economy.”
Rep. Adams also emphasized the impact CBP’s operation has caused for Charlotte-Mecklenburg children, impacting their academic success: “On Monday, November 17, more than 30,000 students, roughly 20% of enrolled students, in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, were reported absent. Important academic activities, including after-school programming, are being disrupted as our students, teachers, and school staff are being traumatized by this operation.”
The letter addressed the operation’s cost to taxpayers at a time when the average American is struggling to make ends meet: “I am further concerned about the presumed excessive cost of this unnecessary operation—a cost borne by American taxpayers—despite the absence of transparent information detailing how this operation was funded. The American people deserve to know where their tax dollars were spent and why they were allocated to support a discriminatory and harmful operation rather than toward initiatives that would actually improve public safety.”
The letter concluded by saying, “This campaign of terror will have long-term and devastating effects on the Charlotte community, and North Carolina broadly. Any operation of this scale requires full transparency regarding the status of those detained, the cost of the operation, the policies governing agents’ actions, and the legal authority underpinning this raid.”
Rep. Adams called for a response to the questions listed by December 5, 2025.