CHARLOTTE — Local and state leaders gathered at Manolo’s Bakery in east Charlotte Friday morning to address conflicting reports of Customs and Border Protection agents leaving Charlotte and call for an end to the operation.
Manolo’s has been closed since Saturday afternoon. Owners say it’s all been in effort to protect customers and employees who are afraid to come out.
Some leaders are pushing back against what they are calling heavy-handed Border Patrol operations in the city. They said the crackdown has led to misinformation and panic, including families keeping kids out of school, workers not showing up, and small businesses shutting their doors.
Some community leaders say the work must continue, while others say the Border Patrol operation has harmed the Charlotte community.
“We have seen this past week a terror that has come not only to our immigrant community, but to those who are just witnessing and watching as they are being terrorized by ICE and Border Patrol,” Rabbi Judy Schindler said Friday. “This is not okay.”
On the other hand, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Don Brown says our borders must be protected.
“The bottom line is obey the law and you won’t have anything to worry about,” Brown said. “Talking about families being worried, if you are going to break the law, there are going to be consequences. I don’t have a lot of sympathy because we have to protect our borders.”
The Department of Homeland Security said the operation in Charlotte is not over, but multiple local, state and federal sources tell Channel 9 the agents have left. There has been no word of any Border Patrol arrests since Wednesday.
VIDEO: Border Patrol targets Charlotte shopping centers; US citizens arrested
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