DHS Launches ‘Operation Charlotte’s Web’ to Intensify Arrests of Criminal Noncitizens in North Carolina

By Annie Dance | Cops & Congress | News & Commentary

The Department of Homeland Security announced a new enforcement surge in Charlotte, saying the effort—branded “Operation Charlotte’s Web”—will focus on noncitizens with criminal records who were released from North Carolina jails after local agencies did not honor federal immigration detainers.

DHS said more than 1,400 detainers were declined statewide, a figure the agency argues has contributed to repeat offenses and community safety risks. Immigration detainers are requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement asking local jails to hold individuals for potential pickup and removal under federal law, according to DHS and ICE guidance.