Immigrant Workers Left Shaken as North Carolina Immigration Crackdown Sends Work Sites into Chaos
In the wake of a recent immigration crackdown by federal authorities in Charlotte, North Carolina, hundreds of workers were left reeling from an abrupt halt on construction sites across the city. The operation, which began with a coordinated sweep by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has resulted in over 250 arrests, sparking widespread fear among immigrant communities.
While officials claim that most of those arrested were not undocumented immigrants but rather people who appeared to be foreign-born, many workers are now worried that their own status may have been called into question.
"Work practically empty because of the Border Patrol raids in Charlotte," reads a caption on one TikTok video, posted by a user who has documented construction projects for months. In another, he urges his followers not to be seen as immigrants: "Charlotte, we are going through difficult times... We are hardworking migrants, not criminals."
The impact was immediate and far-reaching. In just one week, over 200 construction workers were reported missing in Raleigh, according to industry sources who spoke with local news outlet Carolina Journal. This uptick in absences has resulted in significant economic losses, particularly for small businesses reliant on these workers.
"Entire work sites, including several major construction sites, were closed," Braxton Winston, president of the North Carolina State American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), told our team. "There were entire neighborhoods where small businesses were closed. For a week, it was dangerous for people to leave their homes and go to work."
Winston personally witnessed the operation's impact on local workers and condemned ICE's tactics as "a serious threat to the basic rights of all working people." The operation targeted workers who appeared foreign-born, despite many not being immigrants.
"It's not about whether you're undocumented or not. They were targeting people who – and I put air quotes – 'look like they were born in a foreign country,'" Winston explained during a Facebook livestream. "I saw them pull up on a guy who was just cleaning up a parking lot, and they started asking him, 'What country were you born in?' Some of our workers weren't even immigrants."
The raids not only created economic uncertainty but also instilled fear throughout the community, with many fearing deportation or other serious consequences.
"A business isn't a natural disaster, where they can go to their insurance company to get reimbursed," Winston said. "I saw 'mom-and-pop stores' – family or neighborhood stores – closing. They're losing $2,500 in revenue on average [daily]. That's a lot of money for those stores that survive based on their foot traffic day-to-day."
The city of Charlotte has committed $100,000 to support families who have lost wages due to the raids, while The Secure Growth Initiative is pushing for federal responsibility for economic losses resulting from mass deportation policies.
As Winston noted, "the Border Patrol wants to do its work under the cover of darkness. It's really important for people to show up to film and make it uncomfortable for them to abduct people without a warrant."
The incident highlights the complex issues surrounding immigration enforcement and the impact on local workers and businesses.
In the wake of a recent immigration crackdown by federal authorities in Charlotte, North Carolina, hundreds of workers were left reeling from an abrupt halt on construction sites across the city. The operation, which began with a coordinated sweep by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has resulted in over 250 arrests, sparking widespread fear among immigrant communities.
While officials claim that most of those arrested were not undocumented immigrants but rather people who appeared to be foreign-born, many workers are now worried that their own status may have been called into question.
"Work practically empty because of the Border Patrol raids in Charlotte," reads a caption on one TikTok video, posted by a user who has documented construction projects for months. In another, he urges his followers not to be seen as immigrants: "Charlotte, we are going through difficult times... We are hardworking migrants, not criminals."
The impact was immediate and far-reaching. In just one week, over 200 construction workers were reported missing in Raleigh, according to industry sources who spoke with local news outlet Carolina Journal. This uptick in absences has resulted in significant economic losses, particularly for small businesses reliant on these workers.
"Entire work sites, including several major construction sites, were closed," Braxton Winston, president of the North Carolina State American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), told our team. "There were entire neighborhoods where small businesses were closed. For a week, it was dangerous for people to leave their homes and go to work."
Winston personally witnessed the operation's impact on local workers and condemned ICE's tactics as "a serious threat to the basic rights of all working people." The operation targeted workers who appeared foreign-born, despite many not being immigrants.
"It's not about whether you're undocumented or not. They were targeting people who – and I put air quotes – 'look like they were born in a foreign country,'" Winston explained during a Facebook livestream. "I saw them pull up on a guy who was just cleaning up a parking lot, and they started asking him, 'What country were you born in?' Some of our workers weren't even immigrants."
The raids not only created economic uncertainty but also instilled fear throughout the community, with many fearing deportation or other serious consequences.
"A business isn't a natural disaster, where they can go to their insurance company to get reimbursed," Winston said. "I saw 'mom-and-pop stores' – family or neighborhood stores – closing. They're losing $2,500 in revenue on average [daily]. That's a lot of money for those stores that survive based on their foot traffic day-to-day."
The city of Charlotte has committed $100,000 to support families who have lost wages due to the raids, while The Secure Growth Initiative is pushing for federal responsibility for economic losses resulting from mass deportation policies.
As Winston noted, "the Border Patrol wants to do its work under the cover of darkness. It's really important for people to show up to film and make it uncomfortable for them to abduct people without a warrant."
The incident highlights the complex issues surrounding immigration enforcement and the impact on local workers and businesses.
!!! i cant even imagine having my life turned upside down like that 
those ppl are just trying to make a living and provide for their families, not bother anyone 
ICE's tactics are straight up mean 
no one deserves to be treated like that and have their future called into question 
200 construction workers missing in raleigh alone?!? 
small businesses are already struggling big time due to this, now they gotta worry about deportation too?!? 
what is the government even thinking?!? 
man i feel so bad for these immigrant workers they're just trying to make a living like everyone else but now they're living in fear of being deported 
. it's crazy how one operation can cause such chaos in a city. i mean, those construction sites were literally empty because of the raids and now people are losing their jobs and businesses are struggling 
. braxton winston is right though - it's not about whether you're undocumented or not, they were targeting people who 'look foreign-born' 
. that's some messed up policing right there 
. and what really gets me is the $2,500 loss for small businesses daily 
. can't we just get along and let people work without fear of being targeted? 
what if they dont know where they were born? or where their parents are from? 
. It's like, what if they're wrongly accused of being undocumented? What if their whole lives are turned upside down because of one stupid question about where they were born?
. They're just being left to deal with the fallout on their own. I mean, come on, we're a country that's supposed to be all about freedom and opportunity, right? But it feels like no one cares about these people except for the ones who are affected by this crackdown 
. They're not even following the law properly, just making up stuff as they go along. And the fact that they're targeting people who "look like they were born in a foreign country" is just ridiculous 
. I mean, what even does that mean? Are they going to start asking people for their passport or something?
. We need to support these workers and demand some real change from our government. No more crackdowns, no more fear-mongering. Let's get back to being the country we're supposed to be – fair, just, and equal for everyone 
.
, no one deserves a raid at their workplace just 'cause they look foreign-born 
I mean, come on, 250 arrests? That's like, a whole lotta people... or at least, that's what I thought until I saw them counting how many times they had to replace their coffee cups on set because someone got arrested during filming 
. Seriously though, if these raids were really about immigration status, then why are they asking about birthplaces? Sounds like a whole lotta profiling going on... or should I say, "building" 
️
i'm literally shaking thinking about all those workers who got taken away and how it's gonna affect their lives for the rest of their lives. we need to speak out against this ICE stuff ASAP! 
Interesting 
- how many times can these authorities target innocent people just because they look different? It's like, what's next? Targeting people who wear glasses or have tattoos? 
.
and now small businesses are struggling to make ends meet its all about the benjamins 
i feel so bad for those immigrants who got caught up in this whole thing. like, they're just trying to make a living and provide for their families 
. but instead, they're being targeted by border patrol 
. i mean, who wants to risk their livelihood when there's even a chance they might get 'detained' 
. we're all in this together 
. let's support our local workers and small businesses instead of just pointing fingers