- Federal immigration agents have been operating in North Carolina, arresting more than 200 people over four days.
- Businesses and schools are feeling the effects. Families worried about deportation are staying home from work and school.
The Latest
Other WRAL Top Stories
8:50 p.m.: Hundreds began marching in downtown Durham to protest immigration operations from Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the city.
5 p.m. - More than 100 people have gathered at the corner of Kildaire Farm Road and Southwest Maynard Road in Cary to protest the presence of federal immigration officers in the Triangle.
Several protesters held signs, rang cowbells and waived U.S. flags.
"We're here because we support the immigrants who are our neighbors," said event organizer Steve Glass. "We can't exist without the benefit of having a multi-cultural society. That's the basic truth."
4:55 p.m. - U.S. Sen. Ted Budd, R-North Carolina, posted an updated statement on Wednesday to his X social media page.
"The open border policies of the Biden admin and sanctuary cities are neither humane nor responsible," Budd wrote in part.
Budd added, "More importantly, it is endangering Americans in their own communities."
2 p.m. - Federal agents have now arrested more than 250 people during a North Carolina immigration crackdown centered around Charlotte, the state’s largest city, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday.
Federal officials have offered few details about those arrested. They've also remained quiet about the scope of the enforcement operations across North Carolina and where agents will show up next, keeping communities on edge.
1:30 p.m. - The Wake County Public School System had 10.79% students absent on Tuesday, according to data provided by the district. A total of 19,471 students did not attend class on Tuesday. The district has more than 161,000 students across 203 schools, according to its website.
The district's average percentage of absences was 6.71% during the 2023-24 school year.
To compare: On Oct. 27, the district had 6.85% of its students -- about 11,630 students -- absent from class.
12:40 p.m. - Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that effective on Sunday, the Alamance County Detention Center will no longer accept ICE detainees.
In a letter to ICE, Johnson cited recent changes to North Carolina law brought about by the House Bill 307 governing pretrial release, electronic monitoring and detention of individuals charged with violent offenses taking effect on Dec. 1, 2025.
"These changes materially affect our ability to manage classification, housing and supervision of detainees in our facility and will require us to prioritize bed space and resources for local and state inmates and remain compliant with state law and court directives," Johnson said.
12:15 p.m. - The federal immigration enforcement operation is ongoing in Charlotte. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said agents have arrested more than 250 immigrants as of Tuesday evening.
11:20 a.m. - A coalition of Durham community groups - Durham Rising, Duke Grad Students Union, North Carolina Association of Educators, Union of Southern Service Workers and Siembra NC - met this morning outside of Duke Regional Hospital. They are calling on Duke University and the city's other largest employers and institutions to take the Fourth Amendment Workplace Pledge, which involves steps to deter unconstitutional search and seizure operations and protect their staff and patrons.
11:09 a.m. - Ninth Street Bakery in Durham is offering free lunches, snacks and coffee from noon to 1 p.m. for those who want to deliver food to friends or family who are afraid to leave their homes due to immigration operations in the area. The bakery is offering its patio as a gathering place for allies as well.
10:55 a.m. - Protestors are in Charlotte now demonstrating along highways, as cars pass by - honking their horns. Some held American flags, others had signs denouncing ICE.
10:13 a.m. - Siembra NC, an immigrant rights organization, said that more than 600 people volunteered to help on Tuesday in the Raleigh area. They are calling on more cities and businesses to adopt Siembra's 4th Amendment Workplace City resolution. The incoming City Councils of Greensboro and Chapel Hill have pledged to adopt it and the City of Durham and the Town of Carrboro have adopted the resolution which involves steps to deter unconstitutional search and seizure operations and protect their staff and patrons.
9:30a.m. - Wake County Public School System Superintendent Robert Taylor told WRAL that attendance numbers at schools were down on Tuesday as immigration agents began operations in Wake County. Exact attendance numbers will be released later today.
"We understand that they were in our community yesterday doing the work that they do. One thing that we want to do is express to our parents that students have a right to be at school," Taylor said.
Taylor said he expected attendance to continue to be down while agents are in the area. He called the situation "disheartening."
"Instructional hours, time and minutes with kids is our most valuable resource, so when kids are not in school, we don't have an opportunity to teach them. Even when they return to school, you still have those fears that are going to impact them and really be a hindrance to them accessing the curriculum," Taylor said.
Taylor said he wants to reassure families with concerns that they can reach out and "talk to our principals and staff about what things can happen on campus."
"It's unfortunate that our students were afraid to come to school. With these kinds of things, it creates a lot of trauma for students, and so our responsibility is to make sure we're there for those students in any of those areas where they need support. We just want to be there for them," he said.
7:27 a.m. - A coalition of Durham community groups - Durham Rising, Duke Grad Students Union, North Carolina Association of Educators, Union of Southern Service Workers and Siembra NC - are calling on Duke University and the city's other largest employers and institutions to take the Fourth Amendment Workplace Pledge, which involves steps to deter unconstitutional search and seizure operations and protect their staff and patrons. A press conference is scheduled at Duke Regional Hospital this morning.
5:30 a.m. - In Durham, city leaders say at least 20 immigration raids took place in a 24-hour period. County Commissioner Nida Allam said at least four people have been detained in the city.
5 a.m. - There have been conflicting reports of operations ending in the Triangle, but no official announcement has been made. WRAL is reaching out to officials to find out if operations will end in the Triangle.
4:30 a.m. - With a larger than normal amount of school absences reported in Charlotte on Monday, WRAL is asking Wake County Schools if there were more absences than usual on Tuesday.
4 a.m. - With the second day of operations expected to begin, WRAL has asked Customs and Border Protection how many arrests were made in the Triangle on the first day. A spokesman has not responded.
A U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Border Patrol agents have arrested more than 200 immigrants in the Charlotte area who are believed to be in the U.S. illegally in the first three days of "Operation Charlotte's Web."
- Protests were held in downtown Raleigh last night. Raleigh police said no arrests were made. A protest also happened in Durham.
- WRAL News obtained video that showed Border Patrol agents encountering Durham residents on Tuesday.
What to do to if approached by an immigration agent
The National Immigrant Justice Center published a list of things people can do to protect themselves and defend their rights if approached by an immigration agent. It includes:
- Create a safety plan: Identify emergency contacts and memorize their phone numbers. Protect your child's school or day care with an emergency contact to pick up your child. Provide authorization in writing for your emergency contact to make medical and legal decisions for your child.
- Defend your rights: All people in the United States have constitutional protections, including the right to remain silent when questioned or arrested by immigration officers.
