November 21, 2025 

The Honorable Kristi Noem
Secretary of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
2707 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE
Washington, D.C. 20528

Dear Secretary Noem, 

I write to express my alarm at the tactics and conduct of the Department of Homeland Security’s federal law enforcement officers throughout Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) “Operation Charlotte’s Web” here in North Carolina. I have always ranked public safety among my top priorities and have long held that people who are here unlawfully and commit violent crimes must be held accountable and deported. However, in too many instances in recent days in North Carolina, we have seen federal agents recklessly jeopardizing public safety and creating havoc in our communities. We have seen reports of American citizens having their car windows broken, enforcement actions taking place within the vicinity of school drop-offs, and people being racially profiled by federal agents. We have seen our friends, neighbors, and colleagues afraid to go about their daily lives.

Furthermore, the lack of transparency from federal officials regarding the actions and plans of the CBP has been a problem at all levels of government. While I understand and appreciate the importance of discretion in advance of law enforcement activities when communicating with the general public, state and local law enforcement officers need to know when and where to expect federal agent activity in the communities they protect and serve. Transparency and accountability are imperative to community trust in law enforcement and to proper coordination among all levels of law enforcement. Despite requesting information from the federal government, state officials have received no notice of planned immigration enforcement actions since these operations began on Saturday, November 15. Federal agents also have not coordinated with state law enforcement on these critical matters of public safety. State and local officials have been left guessing about what may happen next despite the critical role our law enforcement agencies play in ensuring that residents stay safe, protests remain peaceful, and communities are not driven to panic amid uncertainty and fear.

I request that your Department respond to the following questions and provide state and local leaders with this critical information to protect public safety and keep North Carolinians informed of potential impacts on their communities:

  1. What are your policies regarding notification of state and local officials regarding the planning, scope, and/or timeframe of operations such as Operation Charlotte’s Web?
  2. How long is Operation Charlotte’s Web expected to last? We have heard conflicting reports that as of November 20, 2025, CBP is planning to end Operation Charlotte’s Web. Please provide confirmation regarding the planned end date of your operations.
  3. Which jurisdictions have seen or will see increased federal law enforcement activity due to Operation Charlotte’s Web and when? Please inform us when we can publicly notify our communities of any impending federal law enforcement activity.
  4. As of Thursday, November 20, 2025, the State of North Carolina has learned from media reports that DHS has detained and/or arrested more than 370 individuals as part of Operation Charlotte’s Web. Please provide a comprehensive list of people arrested and/or detained with the following information for each individual: 
    a. Criminal history 
    b. Date of arrest or detention 
    c. Current detention status (i.e., released, deported, in custody) 
    d. Date of release or deportation e. Location where each individual was or is being held and in whose custody
    f. Citizenship, immigration, or visa status 
    g. Reason for each arrest or detention 
    h. Law enforcement agency, or agencies, involved in an arrest, subsequent investigation, and/or removal proceeding.
  5. What is the longest length of time, in hours, that U.S. citizens or legal residents have been held prior to release?
  6. In which facilities have you held individuals in North Carolina?
  7. Have all individuals been notified of their Miranda rights upon arrest?
  8. In instances in which agents have damaged property and an individual is ultimately not arrested and/or is released, what sort of restitution will the Department provide? How can individuals seek restitution?
  9. Has the Department received complaints about any misconduct of federal agents? If so, please provide the complaints.
  10. What are your policies regarding the scope of operations in the vicinity of schools, child care centers, and playgrounds? Do you have perimeter limitations for initiating enforcement actions around such installations where children may be present?
  11. What are your policies regarding high-speed chases and pursuits? What are the limitations on those tactics, particularly with respect to school zones or areas in proximity to installations where children may be present?
  12. How much has Operation Charlotte’s Web cost the federal government?

From fighting to keep fentanyl off our streets and preventing kids from joining gangs to working to secure better pay and benefits for state and local law enforcement officers and combatting sex crimes and sex trafficking, my administration remains committed to building a North Carolina that is safer and stronger. Critical to ensuring our communities are safe is robust support for our state and local law enforcement agencies, which will continue to protect our public safety long after federal agents leave. I ask that you respond to these questions in earnest and better communicate with North Carolina officials on any such federal enforcement actions so that our state and local law enforcement have the information they need to keep our communities safe.

Sincerely,

Josh Stein
Governor

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