(A previous edition of this story misstated Senator Caleb Theodros’ birthplace.)
This past weekend will forever be remembered as Border Patrol Weekend in Charlotte, as federal Customs and Border Patrol swept into the city looking for illegal aliens. The agency said Sunday it had arrested 81 people, and called it “a record day.”
The effort came with limited communication with Charlotte and Mecklenburg law enforcement officials, who emphasized their disinterest in assisting with the federal effort. Democratic elected officials who lead the state’s largest city condemned the CBP entry, saying it was unnecessary and harmful to the city’s big immigrant community.
Most of the information about the unfolding operation from the CBP came through X posts from its commander, Gregory Bovino. Responding to critical comments about the Charlotte program from Gov. Josh Stein and U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, Bovino wrote on X, “Immigrants rest assured, we have your back like we did in Chicago and Los Angeles. Rep. Adams, perhaps you & Gov. STEIN should learn the difference between an illegal alien & an immigrant. Illegal aliens have no place in our communities and should self-deport via CBP Home.”
In a post on Saturday, the Department of Homeland Security said “nearly 1,400 detainers across North Carolina have not been honored — releasing criminal illegal aliens into North Carolina’s neighborhoods.”
The brash approach by Bovino’s team sparked significant protests in Charlotte, including a parade Saturday of several hundred people critical of the CBP.
On Friday, several Democratic elected officials attended a press conference about the CBP’s plans organized by N.C. Rep Aisha Dew. Leaders, including Mecklenburg County Commission Chair Mark Jerrell, newly elected Charlotte City Councilman Juan Diego Mazeura Arias and N.C. State Sen. Caleb Theodros criticized the CBP’s lack of transparency and unwillingness to work collaboratively with local police and sheriff’s departments.
The press conference also included comments from several nonprofit leaders, who also slammed the federal officials. Among the speakers was Corine Mack, the president of the Charlotte chapter of the NAACP, who said President Donald Trump’s “whole vision is to be like Hitler and create 1940s Germany.” None of the officials at the event responded to Mack’s comment during the press conference.
Later, Business North Carolina asked N.C. Sen. Theodros three questions about the CBP controversy and public safety in Charlotte. Theodros’s parents came to the U.S. from Eritrea in East Africa. He was born in the U.S. and is a graduate of UNC Charlotte and was elected to the legislature in 2024.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department officials say they have 200 vacancies. What should be done to fill those positions, which the Trump Administration has cited in its criticism of Charlotte’s public safety?
Yes, vacancies are a major issue, and retention is a major factor. We need to fill those vacancies, and the State has a clear role to play in making that possible. The General Assembly can support Charlotte, the state’s largest city, by appropriating the funding needed for competitive salaries, retention incentives, and officer support. Unfortunately, we are now more than 130 days past the deadline for passing a state budget. If Republican leadership truly cared about public safety, they would prioritize getting that budget done and set aside resources to help cities like Charlotte fill these critical positions.
There are clear moral issues involved in immigration enforcement. But if CBP presence helps avert one major violent crime, will the general public approve of their efforts?
These actions by Customs and Border Protection are not about public safety. They are political theater, an extension of the President’s national campaign of fear and division. True public safety doesn’t come from sudden federal deployments with no coordination or transparency. It comes from investments in communities, local law enforcement, and neighborhood organizations, not from authoritarian-style policing done for political effect.
There is a perception that Uptown Charlotte is less safe than five or 10 years ago. Given that you represent the district, what are your thoughts?
Two things can be true at once. The data can show that crime is declining, while the perception of increased crime can still be real for people who live, work, and spend time in the district. That perception matters. It’s exactly why I want to see more resources for CMPD and for community-based safety strategies, and why I continue urging GOP leadership in the House and Senate to make that funding a priority. Charlotte deserves a state government that actually supports the work happening on the ground to keep people safe.
David Mildenberg is editor of Business North Carolina. Reach him at dmildenberg@businessnc.com.