Congresswoman Alma Adams cited a WCNC Charlotte in a letter sent to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Rep. Alma Adams (NC-12) is demanding detailed information from the Department of Homeland Security about an immigration enforcement operation in Charlotte that she says terrorized communities and led to the arrest of U.S. citizens.
In the letter sent Monday to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Adams called “Operation Charlotte’s Web” a “campaign of terror” and questioned whether the operation has lived up to federal claims that it targets violent criminals.
The operation, which began Saturday, Nov. 15, has resulted in more than 370 arrests, according to media reports. But Adams said DHS has not provided Congress or state and local officials with comprehensive information about those detained.
“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,” Adams wrote. “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.”
Adams cited a WCNC Charlotte investigation that found a landscaper with government-issued work authorization was detained during the operation despite having no apparent violent criminal history. The case of Oscar Rene Rodriguez-Rodriguez appeared to contradict DHS claims of targeting “the worst of the worst,” according to the investigation.
Rodriguez’s employer told WCNC Charlotte she had verified his work eligibility before hiring him and that his work authorization card showed he was eligible for employment through March 2029. Immigration attorney Jeremy McKinney told WCNC Charlotte that Rodriguez held deferred action status, meaning DHS did not consider him a priority for deportation when it approved his work status earlier this year.
Adams also described reports of excessive force by federal agents, including a widely circulated video showing border patrol agents smashing the car window of a U.S. citizen born in Honduras and throwing him to the glass-covered ground after he had identified himself as a citizen.
The operation has had far-reaching effects on the Charlotte community, Adams said. More than 30,000 students — roughly 20% of those enrolled in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools — were absent on Monday, Nov. 17, and several small businesses temporarily closed due to fear of raids and a sharp drop in customers.
“These disturbing tactics mirror those used during the implementation of President Trump’s mass deportation activities in other cities,” Adams wrote. “These actions are unacceptable and have no place in North Carolina, nor anywhere else in the country.”
Adams demanded answers to 15 questions by Dec. 5, including a comprehensive list of everyone arrested with their criminal histories, citizenship status and current detention location. She also asked how many U.S. citizens have been arrested, how many detained individuals had no criminal convictions, and whether agents conducted enforcement actions at schools, places of worship or health care facilities.
The congresswoman also sought details about the operation’s cost to taxpayers and policies governing agents’ use of force and treatment of children whose parents are arrested.
“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 are proven to improve public safety,” Adams wrote.
DHS said it would target “criminal illegal aliens terrorizing” Charlotte communities. In a statement Thursday, a DHS spokesperson said federal agencies continue to target “some of the most dangerous criminal illegal aliens” and that arrests include individuals with histories of domestic violence, assault, breaking and entering, larceny and driving while intoxicated.
However, early data from the arrests suggest most of those detained do not have violent criminal histories, according to media reports. Officials have said they will enforce immigration laws against anyone they encounter who is in the country illegally, regardless of criminal history.