Additional Coverage:
- Surveillance video shows terrified people fleeing as masked ICE agents storm North Carolina laundromat (themirror.com)
Panic at Charlotte Laundromat Amidst Heightened ICE Activity
Charlotte, NC – A weekend of heightened immigration enforcement in Charlotte saw a dramatic scene unfold at a local laundromat, as several individuals fled the establishment upon the apparent arrival of masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The incident underscores the growing fear and anxiety within immigrant communities following a series of raids that have led to at least 130 arrests across the city.
Security footage from Sunday depicts a man rushing into the Charlotte Plaza laundromat, reportedly to escape what he believed were ICE agents. The pursuit continued through the back door of the facility, triggering a panic that sent at least 11 other patrons scattering from the premises.
David Rebolloso, owner of the East Charlotte laundromat, expressed his profound distress over the events, telling The Guardian that business has plummeted since Border Patrol teams descended on the area. “People are nervous just because of the tactics,” Rebolloso stated.
“Even me. I’m brown-skinned and I’m an American citizen and I’m a [military] vet.
But here I’m thinking: should I be carrying my passport with me?”
Rebolloso openly accused the agents of deliberately instilling fear, claiming the tactics are designed to keep people indoors and consequently harm local businesses. He further alleged racial profiling, stating, “They’re just targeting Latinos… as far as I know here in Charlotte.”
Following the incident, Rebolloso’s laundromat was nearly deserted, with customers reportedly too scared to venture out. He has since implemented a locked-door policy, offering a laundry pick-up service to protect his patrons.
“People are calling me… and asking me if it’s safe to come in… people are not showing. They’re afraid,” he added.
In response to the arrests, the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement Monday, asserting that all individuals apprehended in Charlotte had “broken the immigration laws of our country.” The agency affirmed its commitment to “not stop enforcing the laws of our nation until every criminal illegal alien is arrested and removed from our country.”
However, local officials are pushing back. Mecklenburg County Sheriff Gary McFadden, along with four other Black Democratic county sheriffs, has already terminated his county’s contract with ICE.
On Sunday, McFadden confirmed his office would not assist ICE in enforcement actions. “This is something I have seen, something I have been battling repeatedly,” he stated.
While acknowledging that his office cannot directly intervene with federal arrests, McFadden advised residents to “stay out of their way.” He noted that while some communities “welcome this,” in Mecklenburg, many are “living in fear and anxiety for the rest of this week, maybe the rest of this year.
Mentally, it’s unbelievable to live in fear every day. African Americans can maybe understand it a little better than other people.”
Other local leaders have also voiced strong criticism. State Rep.
Aisha Dew questioned the presence of Border Patrol agents within the city’s limits at a Friday press conference. “We do not need to have border patrol,” Dew remarked.
“I’m not quite sure what border we’re patrolling here… We don’t have borders here in North Carolina that need to be protected.”