Overview:
As immigration enforcement operations have ramped up in the Piedmont, some agents have been spotted Western North Carolina — mainly in the foothills and high country.
What you need to know
U.S. Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents moved into Charlotte last weekend, arresting and detaining individuals causing businesses to close and students to stay home.
Since the weekend, there were reports of agents in Western North Carolina. Agents began operations in Charlotte and were spotted in the mountains later in the week.
Regular immigration enforcement activities continue across the state, according to ICE spokesperson Lindsay Williams. “We do targeted immigration enforcement daily,” he told NC Local.
Asheville
Reports of ICE and CBP in Asheville have been disproven as advocacy organizations and tip lines have kept a close eye on the area.
On Tuesday evening, Mayor Esther Manheimer, Board of Commissioners Chair Amanda Edwards, and Members of Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners put out a statement calling for peace and unity.
“Expected U.S. Customs and Border Protection operations are causing unnecessary fear in our community. We’ve seen what happened in other cities: people without criminal records detained, violent confrontations erupting. We don’t want that here,” the statement reads.
“Our community is still recovering from Hurricane Helene. We do not need additional stress and fear.”
The “Charlotte’s Web” Border Patrol operation has increased the profile of immigration enforcement this week, but ICE spokesperson Lindsay Williams told NC Local that ICE operations are ongoing in North Carolina.
There have not been any confirmed ICE/CBP sightings in Buncombe County as of Thursday morning.
West of Asheville
Jackson County Sheriff issued a statement Thursday morning to dispel rumors that ICE is operating in the county.
“We are not aware of them being in the area. I feel strongly they would notify our office if they were in the area,” the statement reads. “Please confirm that it is ICE before sharing the information and not your local law enforcement.”
On Wednesday, a rumor was circulated that ICE was on Western Carolina University’s campus. A WCU spokesperson said that the school did not have any credible reports of agents being present on WCU’s campus.
Local Latinx advocacy agency UNIDXS took to social media on Wednesday afternoon to dispel the rumors. Executive Director Ricardo Bello Ball took shared a video on Facebook to confirm that there hasn’t been any confirmation of ICE presence in the region.
The Qualla Boundary, the sovereign nation of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee, sits in part in Jackson County.
EBCI Principal Chief Michell Hicks announced that tribal police with the enrollment card office will be issuing free copies of tribal enrollment cards to help with “reliable, updated tribal identification.”
“I wish we did not live in a time where such steps feel necessary, but our responsibility is to prepare, protect, and stand beside our people, especially when uncertainties arise,” Hicks said in a statement.
The High Country and The Foothills
Local news outlets have reported the presence of CBP agents in the High Country.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents were spotted detaining someone in Lenoir on Wednesday, according to Channel 9’s Dave Faherty.
Catawba County Sheriff’s office said on Tuesday that immigration agents are planning to come to Catawba County.
Agents have been spotted in Blowing Rock and Boone, according to Enlace Latino. Immigrant Justice Coalition, based in Boone, has said that agents have been spotted in Watauga, Avery and Ashe counties as well as Hickory and Lenoir.
Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police at Appalachian State University Johnny Brown confirmed that as of Thursday afternoon there has been no ICE activity on App State’s campus. Brown encouraged the community to confirm information with trusted sources.
“Artificial intelligence and social media can feed rumors, speculation and misinformation, contributing to the difficulties and confusion that can be caused by misinformation and disinformation,” Brown said in a statement.
He also recommended that students, faculty and staff reach out to App State Police with questions.
Boone Mayor-Elect Dalton George confirmed with NC Local that federal agents at hotels in Watauga County but said he was not aware of any enforcement in town limits.
“It’s kind of been touch and go with some of the things that we’re hearing from folks in our community, but in terms of verifiable kind of instances. We know some folks[agents] were staying in town at hotels,” George said.
George said there have been consistent protests in town, and some are scheduled for this weekend.
Current Boone Mayor Tim Futrelle issued a statement on Thursday afternoon formally requested that I.C.E. refrain from any law-enforcement activity within the Town of Boone unless such actions are explicitly coordinated with and requested by local leadership, in accordance with established protocols and demonstrated need, The Watauga Democrat reported.
“We request that federal agencies respect the autonomy, expertise, and authority of local officials who know this community best,” the mayor said.
Learn more
Some WNC residents took to the streets to protest immigration action. Read more.
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