Hundreds of demonstrators filled the streets of Charlotte on Saturday, chanting anti-Trump slogans as the Trump administration launched a fresh immigration crackdown in the city. Marchers carried signs and waved U.S. flags while shouting obscenities directed at President Trump in response to the sudden escalation.
NOW: "F*ck Trump!" Anti-ICE protesters march in Charlotte NC
Crowd gathed at First Ward Park in Charlotte after federal agents detained people in multiple neighborhoods on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/PIeY8KhLwc
— Oliya Scootercaster (@ScooterCasterNY) November 15, 2025Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to CNN that the department was “surging” federal officers into Charlotte to “ensure Americans are safe and public-safety threats are removed.” Throughout the afternoon, residents reported seeing unmarked federal vehicles stopping people in several neighbourhoods.
CNN correspondent Gloria Pazmino documented one encounter that quickly drew outrage. In footage recorded by motorist Willie Medina, officers approached his parked vehicle as he insisted he had already identified himself. When he refused to get out, agents smashed a window, pulled him from the car, and placed him in handcuffs.
Medina, who is a U.S. citizen, said he repeatedly told officers his documents were in his back pocket. Only after an agent checked his wallet and confirmed his citizenship was he uncuffed and released. Medina said other men detained at the same time were also taken away in federal vehicles.
Local leaders reacted swiftly. Mecklenburg County officials issued a joint statement condemning the raids and urging residents to know their legal rights during federal encounters. The operation also revived earlier tensions: back in September, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) publicly cautioned the Trump administration against targeting Charlotte following a fatal stabbing on a local train, warning that deploying federal agents there “will be a problem for me.”