Commander Who Works With DHS Schools NC Dems Over Fear-Mongering on ICE Moving From Chicago to Charlotte

redstate.com

As they should, unforgettable images continue to haunt Americans and the world from the brutal killing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, on the night of Aug. 22, as RedState previously reported extensively at the time. My colleague Sister Toldjah nabbed the legacy media's complicit and obvious silence in the wake of violence by repeat offenders like the suspected killer, Decarlos Brown Jr.

Advertisement

It's no different from many of the illegal immigrants who shouldn't even be in our country.

READ MORE: 'Crickets': Fed-Up Reporters Go Off As Media Reckoning Over Coverage of Fatal Stabbing Commences

Horrifying. Career Felon Murders Young Woman on Video and Mayor Blames 'Homelessness and Mental Illness

Under the Trump 47 administration, as promised throughout the 2024 election, the Department of Homeland Security has fanned out Customs and Border Patrol (CBP)/ Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents across the nation, to cities as diverse as Los Angeles, Memphis, TN, Chicago... and now, Charlotte, NC. The word went out earlier in the week on the latter, something that was confirmed on Thursday by the sheriff of Mecklenburg County:

U.S. Border Patrol is headed to Charlotte soon, Mecklenburg Sheriff Gary McFadden has confirmed. Both Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have stated that they do not discuss planned operations. 

Several Democrats in the Old North State apparently have a problem with it besides the sheriff.

Local officials, including members of the Charlotte City Council, co-signed a letter on Tuesday, claiming that the police there "[don't] have the authority to enforce immigration laws and doesn’t participate in federal immigration operations":

“Our message is simple: Mecklenburg County and Charlotte are communities of belonging. We will stand together, look out for one another, and ensure that fear never divides the city we all home,” Charlotte City Council member-elect JD Mazuera Arias said in a statement shared on his social media accounts late Tuesday. 

The letter was also signed by Charlotte City Council member Dimple Ajmera, County Commissioner Susan Rodrguez-McDowell, Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board member Liz Monterrey Duvall and state legislators Jordan Lopez, Mujtaba Mohammed and Caleb Theodros. The group said state and local leaders don’t control or direct immigration operations but “will continue working to advance policies that protect Mecklenburg County and North Carolina families and strengthen due process and public trust.” Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police doesn’t have the authority to enforce immigration laws and doesn’t participate in federal immigration operations, they added.

Advertisement

And here is (as she represents in her X bio) Representative Rep. Alma S. Adams, Ph.D., who represents the 12th Congressional district of North Carolina, talking in a press release on Friday on the matter. 

“I am extremely concerned about the deployment of U.S. Border Patrol and ICE agents to Charlotte,” Adams said. “Charlotte’s immigrant community is a proud part of the Queen City, and I will not stand by and watch my constituents be intimidated or harassed."

"Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity," she continued, "and what we have seen border patrol and ICE agents do in places like Chicago and Los Angeles—using excessive force in their operations and tear gassing peaceful protestors—threatens the wellbeing of the communities they enter."

She called out those claimed actions by DHS as "tactics" and "values" that are not held by either Charlotte or the county in which it resides.

Dem Gov. Josh Stein also has been vocal in opposition to ICE in his state removing criminal illegal aliens, insisting in a statement on Friday that local law enforcement is on top of things:

Advertisement

Sheriff McFadden released a statement on Tuesday that will sound familiar to readers--in which he said "no federal officials had informed him or CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings about any plan for a federal immigration operation," according to The Charlotte Observer.

The statement from the sheriff’s department continued:

“Given the current climate surrounding immigration and the potential for violence associated with law enforcement operations at any level, Sheriff McFadden respectfully requests that any CBP activities taking place within Mecklenburg County be communicated to MCSO and local law enforcement in advance along with any relevant updates or points of contacts. This will help ensure the safety of all parties involved.”

Although his department has had more meetings with DHS on working together, which have left him "hopeful," earlier in 2025, the sheriff criticized ICE agents over an illegal fleeing outside the county courthouse that ended in a local pond--and wearing masks during ops.

“The duck pond incident really bothered me,” he said in an Oct. interview. “When you’re sneaking around, we don’t know who you are. And you’ve got a mask on?”

Perhaps the sheriff is unaware or more likely willfully ignoring the danger that ICE personnel deal with on a daily basis, including being followed home and doxed by activists up to no good, as we wrote recently. 

Ring a bell? These blue-city/state Dems are so predictable... they want ICE to "coordinate" with police, yet rail against them as no better than terrorists. Yeah, no, ICE is not going to telegraph their ops to you.

Advertisement

Same thing happened with Illinois and Chicago officials.

SEE: DOJ Announces Charges Against Activists Who Allegedly Doxxed an ICE Agent After Following Him Home

Chicago Immigration Raids Planned for Trump Day Two Begin, Blue State Officials Crying They Weren't Told

There's not a lot of coordination for a reason, leftists.

On Friday, Gregory K. Bovino, a commander who works with DHS in Los Angeles, hopped onto X to school these Dems on the distinct definitions of "illegals" and "immigrants," responding to Rep. Adams in particular.

"Immigrants rest assured, we have your back like we did in Chicago and Los Angeles," he wrote. "Rep. Adams, perhaps you & Gov. STEIN should learn the difference between an illegal alien & an immigrant. Illegal aliens have NO PLACE in our communities and should self deport via CBP Home." 

In the story linked above from the Charlotte Observer, CBP and the DHS said they are not wavering in their commitment to Americans' safety--whether Democrat pols like it or not.

Border Patrol officials told McClatchy Tuesday the agency does not “discuss future or potential operations.” “Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country,” Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of homeland security, said in a statement.

So, what was North Carolina Rep. Adams' priority this week? She shared that something by posting proudly about it on X-- voting nay on the continuing resolution, which after over a month reopened the federal government paying workers and restoring food assistance funding.

Advertisement

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) had this chilling reminder for the Left that we are not going to forget Iryna anytime soon:

[Editor's Note: This article was edited for clarity post-publication.]

Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy RedState’s conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.

Join RedState VIP and use the promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership!