Most Americans dissatisfied with U.S. immigration agency performance

A new YouGov survey shows that 53 per cent of Americans somewhat or strongly disapprove of the work of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), compared with 39 per cent who express support. 

More than half of respondents believe the agency sometimes detains US citizens and legal residents, and 61 per cent say people with no immigration or customs violations are often taken into custody. The poll, based on responses from 1,065 adults, indicates growing concern that ICE’s actions are overly broad and inconsistently applied.

Charlotte, North Carolina, has become the latest focus of expanded federal operations. Residents reported encounters with immigration agents near churches, housing complexes and local businesses over the weekend. Officials say the operation, referred to as “Charlotte’s Web”, resulted in 81 arrests within five hours. 

Gregory Bovino, a senior border patrol commander who previously oversaw similar actions in Chicago and Los Angeles, defended the arrests by citing alleged criminal histories among those detained, including drink-driving offences, and described the measures as necessary for public safety. City leaders have criticised the raids. 

Charlotte’s mayor, Vi Lyles, issued a joint statement with county and education officials warning that the operations were generating fear and uncertainty. They argued that the city’s diversity is an asset and cautioned that broad enforcement risks detaining people without criminal records, as has occurred elsewhere.

Community groups reported cancelled medical appointments and increased school absences among Latino residents who were reluctant to leave their homes.

Activist organisations have distributed whistles to help residents alert neighbours to the presence of immigration agents. 

Nikki Marín Baena of Siembra NC described the raids as shameful and accused state Republicans of celebrating actions she said have traumatised immigrant communities. The scale of the operation exceeded previous enforcement efforts in North Carolina, where the highest number of arrests in a single day earlier this year had been 30.

The raids have also revived debate over the use of force in immigration enforcement. Earlier operations in Chicago and Los Angeles prompted lawsuits and investigations after agents deployed chemical agents against demonstrators. Local leaders argued that heavily armed federal officers heightened tensions, while administration officials maintained that such measures were necessary to protect agents.

The Department of Homeland Security has released limited information about those arrested in Charlotte, continuing a pattern that has frustrated local officials and civil society groups. In Chicago, for example, authorities disclosed only a small number of names from more than 3,000 arrests recorded in recent months.