Federal immigration agents carried out a high-profile enforcement operation in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sunday, resulting in more than 80 arrests, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Residents reported encounters with officers near churches, apartment complexes, and retail areas.

The Trump administration has designated the Democratic-leaning city, home to roughly 950,000 people, as part of a wider enforcement surge aimed at curbing crime, despite local leaders’ objections and falling crime rates.

Gregory Bovino, a senior Border Patrol commander who led a similar operation in Chicago, posted updates on X, including a highly-edited video showing officers handcuffing individuals. “From border towns to the Queen City, our agents go where the mission calls,” Bovino wrote, highlighting the nationwide reach of the agency’s operations.

The deployment underscores the administration’s strategy of targeting urban areas beyond traditional border regions, raising questions over the balance between immigration enforcement and community relations.