North Carolinians Protect Each Other
This has been a tough, tough week for our state. From Charlotte to the Triangle, Border Patrol agents have raided our communities. In their masks and paramilitary uniforms, they’ve operated drones and broken windows, shuttered businesses and forced families indoors.
For however cruel and violent federal agents have been this week, North Carolinians have responded tenfold with love, care, and compassion. North Carolinians met the moment and stepped up to support one another, marching in protests, documenting encounters, guarding carpool lines, and protecting their neighbors.
Supporting one another through this dark moment hasn’t been easy. The scenes of Border Patrol operating in Charlotte, a city over 1,000 miles away from the US-Mexico border, were particularly disheartening. Agents were arresting churchgoers, grocery store employees, and other community members. Those detained appeared to be targeted based on race, employment, and language rather than criminal record. One US citizen in Charlotte was stopped by Border Patrol agents twice, with the second encounter resulting in his car window being shattered and him being detained.
Some businesses were forced to close. About half of the small businesses that the community development organization CharlotteEast works with have closed their doors at some point, despite all of them being owned by US citizens, Executive Director Greg Asciutto said Tuesday. “From strictly an economic standpoint, it’s pretty catastrophic right now,” Asciutto said, comparing the closures to the first week of COVID.
Children and families were forced to stay home, fearing that they would be wrongly targeted based on their identity. Durham Public Schools reported a 20% absentee rate on Tuesday– a spike that was on par with what we’ve seen in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. The Wake County Health Department, which provides essential health care for children and low-income residents around Raleigh, saw an appointment no-show rate of 47%.
All North Carolinians deserve to live in safe communities, but the chaos we’ve seen this week has further shown that this administration’s deportation campaign has never been about public safety– it’s been about creating fear, sowing division, and forcing submission.
And North Carolina is having none of it. Everyday people have responded quickly and powerfully, organizing trainings, operating response hotlines, and compiling resources in support of impacted communities.
Everywhere you look, you can see people coming together to support their neighbors. In Charlotte, a bakery was forced to close its doors Saturday after agents chased and tackled people outside the shop. Community members showed up afterwards to guard the business.
One of those people, Beth Clements, was determined to protect her neighbors for as long as it takes. “I’m going to walk the streets with my whistle and I want to keep my neighbors protected because they deserve protection and they deserve to live in a world where they’re not scared,” she said.
Siembra NC– an immigrant rights group– has been a star this week, mobilizing and protecting communities all across the state. Their trainings have been particularly impactful, as they’ve helped prepare volunteers to protect their communities. Their Tuesday training was featured on Rachel Maddow, and their Wednesday training– which saw over 1,000 people register– was covered by CNN. Siembra has even launched a digital map– Ojo Obrero– showing where federal immigration officials have been sighted so that folks can make informed decisions about their routes to school and work.
One pastor, Rev. Joel Simpson, described the trainings as deeply uplifting. “People are telling me as they go through this training like, ‘I’m feeling empowered,’” he said. “‘I feel like I can do something and there’s a way to channel my love and my anger and my fear into something that supports other people.’”
Carolina Migrant Network has operated a hotline, providing free legal assistance and “know your rights” information to those in need of it. And organizations like the Education Justice Alliance and Brava NC have been uplifting their neighbors through advocacy, utilizing social media and press conferences to ensure that community voices are amplified during this challenging moment. Countless other organizations are doing the same.
Young people have been mobilizing as well. In Charlotte, high school students in the district staged a walkout Tuesday morning to protest immigration enforcement in the city. Students in the Triangle made similar plans for Friday.
And even Chapel of Bones– yes, that Chapel of Bones, the heavy metal venue and coffee shop– has been working alongside organizations like RUMAH to run supply drives for families who are unable to leave their homes.
The federal government might not have our back right now. They might not have our back for some time. But if this week has proven anything, it’s that North Carolinians, of all backgrounds, will continue looking out for one another during these difficult moments. We’ll keep standing strong with our neighbors, ready to shine a light when things get their darkest.
Siembra NC Defensa Hotline: 336-543-0353
Know Your Rights/Conoce Tus Derechos: English and Español
Siembra NC ICE/CBP Response Trainings: Charlotte and Raleigh
Support Immigrant Communities: List of Fundraisers and Businesses
