Thriving business districts in North Carolina city now at a ‘standstill’ after at least 81 were arrested over the weekend
Many communities in Charlotte, North Carolina, were reeling after federal Customs and Border Protection teams descended on the city at the weekend and arrested at least 81 people – while normally-thriving immigrant enclaves and business districts came to a standstill.
Charlotte is the state’s largest city, home to a steadily growing and diverse population. Over the weekend, videos circulated on social media that showed people being chased or simply picked up by federal agents outside of various local businesses.
Border protection also arrested a teenage worker at the Super G Mart grocery store, as reported by the Charlotte Observer. Store owner Peter Han told the newspaper that the boy was no older than 16. “The most appalling thing was: these guys still had the audacity to smile and wave at the camera after … coming and dragging a boy out, pinning him against the concrete.”
A very thin silver lining from these atrocities, is that Trump is bringing the consequences of the “border wall” rhetoric all across the country.
From here on out, there should be no mistake; Republican leaders had no intent on keeping their “enforcement” in some place far away from their voters. It eventually comes for everyone.
(Edit: I wrote this too early in the morning, filled in a lot of words)
Maybe the local police should support ICE. Like putting two policemen on any ICE agent to verify that those agents actually follow the law: That they actually have valid warrants, that they don’t use excessive force, that they don’t detain people without a reason, etc.
