Gov. Stein says he’s heard nothing from Trump on Border Patrol’s operation in NC
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Stein says state lacks direct communication from Trump administration or CBP.
- DHS launched Operation Charlotte's Web, making over 200 arrests in Charlotte.
- New state law forces sheriffs to honor ICE detainers and hold suspects up to 48 hours.
Speaking after a jobs project announcement in Johnston County on Tuesday, Gov. Josh Stein answered reporters’ questions about what he has and hasn’t heard regarding ongoing U.S. Border Patrol operations in North Carolina.
“I can’t speak for the administration,” said Stein, a Democrat, about why Charlotte and the Triangle have been targets for federal immigration agents over the past few days.
“We’ve reached out to the White House. We haven’t gotten any word. We’re not hearing directly from Customs and Border Patrol, so we don’t know for sure where they’re going, how long they’ll be here, where else they’re going. So, we are like everyone else.”
On Saturday, the Department of Homeland Security launched “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” an action that has resulted in more than 200 arrests in Charlotte, The Charlotte Observer reported. On Tuesday, Border Patrol arrived in the Triangle.
The federal government cited North Carolina’s local immigration enforcement policies in a Nov. 15 statement announcing its operation.
“This DHS operation will target the criminal illegal aliens who flocked to the Tar Heel State because they knew sanctuary politicians would protect them and allow them to roam free on American streets,” the department’s statement reads. “Nearly 1,400 detainers across North Carolina have not been honored — releasing criminal illegal aliens into North Carolina’s neighborhoods.”
Asked about detainers Tuesday, Stein said “sheriffs have to honor ICE detainers” under a new law.
“So, this is no longer a current problem,” he said.
Passed over Stein’s veto, a North Carolina law that took effect Oct. 1 requires local law enforcement to cooperate more with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The bill expanded earlier efforts to force sheriffs to notify ICE before releasing anyone in their custody who is being held on an immigration detainer. Sheriffs are now required to try to determine the immigration status of anyone charged with a felony or drunken driving. The law also requires authorities to hold people with ICE detainers in jail for 48 hours past the point when they would otherwise be released.
Stein called this requirement “unconstitutional” in his veto of the bill, writing, “Officers cannot keep people in custody solely based on a suspected immigration violation.”
President Donald Trump made aggressive immigration enforcement a pillar of his reelection campaign. In a recent “60 Minutes” interview, he said ICE raids across the U.S. “haven’t gone far enough.”
On Tuesday in Johnston County, Stein was asked what he would say to North Carolina residents who helped carry the state for Trump in the 2024 election and support his immigration approach.
“If this were targeted to going after known people who are criminals or known people who are drug traffickers who are engaged in violent crime, that would be a good thing,” Stein said. “But they’re just sweeping sidewalks. They’re sweeping parking lots. They’re going into stores and churches. This is causing widespread fear, widespread uncertainty. This is not about public safety, and I wish that it were.”
This story was originally published November 18, 2025 at 6:14 PM.
