Trump-Era Immigration Raids in Charlotte Ignite Political Tensions Ahead of 2026 Elections

Political tensions in North Carolina escalated this week following immigration raids carried out under the Trump administration, positioning the state as a new flashpoint in the national immigration debate—and a potential deciding factor in one of next year’s most competitive U.S. Senate races.

Raids in Charlotte and other cities have intensified a year-long battle over immigration enforcement in this fast-changing swing state. Both Democrats and Republicans say the issue is likely to play a defining role in the next presidential election as well. North Carolina, a key battleground that Trump won narrowly in his last three campaigns, remains central to both parties’ election strategies.

The latest controversy follows a tense showdown earlier this summer over whether local sheriffs should cooperate with federal authorities on raids targeting undocumented immigrants. The dispute ended with Republicans successfully overriding a veto from the state’s Democratic governor.

On Thursday, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office announced that operations in Charlotte had concluded, but federal officials did not confirm this—saying the raids were “not ending anytime soon.”

Trump’s efforts to arrest migrants in Charlotte and Raleigh have energized Democrats heading into the 2026 midterm elections, where control of the Republican-led Congress will be at stake. Unlike solidly Democratic states such as California or Illinois, North Carolina is seen as a critical test of whether Trump’s immigration tactics can push voters toward—or away from—his party.

This week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents wearing masks were seen patrolling Hispanic neighborhoods. Videos circulating on social media show agents breaking a pickup truck’s window and pulling out a man. The Department of Homeland Security said more than 370 people have been arrested.

Democratic county commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell of Charlotte described her constituents as fearful and outraged. “People are scared, they’re angry, they’re hiding,” she said. “They’re furious this happened in our community, and they want to know what we’re going to do about it.”

Charlotte—now a metropolitan area of 2.8 million and one of the nation’s top banking hubs—has undergone dramatic changes. Since 2000, its immigrant population has surged more than 126% and now represents roughly 16.5% of residents. According to the Latin American Chamber of Commerce, the region is home to over 8,000 Hispanic-owned businesses generating $12.9 billion in annual economic output.

Residents responded to the raids with protests, and some businesses closed out of fear of further enforcement activity.

Senate Race Turmoil

The raids have shaken up the race to replace Republican Senator Thom Tillis. Former two-term Democratic governor Roy Cooper is expected to face either Trump-backed candidate and former RNC chair Michael Whatley or attorney Don Brown. Polls show Cooper in the lead.

Republicans accuse Cooper of pushing to turn North Carolina into a “sanctuary state,” which limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Cooper fired back this week, accusing the Trump administration of “randomly seizing people—including U.S. citizens and those with no criminal record—based on how they look.”

Republicans argue the raids target dangerous criminals. “The people they’re taking off the streets are not the folks you’d want next to you in a carpool line,” said Kyle Kirby, chair of Charlotte’s GOP. Reuters could not verify the immigration status or criminal history of those detained.

With a year until the elections, it remains unclear whether the raids will shift voter sentiment. But a recent poll by the nonpartisan Carolina Journal found that over the past 12 months, the share of residents who believe the state is headed in the wrong direction has jumped by 20 points.

Carolina Journal publisher Donald Bryson said Republicans may benefit from the focus on border security, an issue their voters prioritize more than Democrats. But Michael Bitzer, a political scientist at Catawba College, noted that the raids could also mobilize Democrats who believe the Trump administration is attempting to intimidate Hispanic voters.

Although the raids have inflamed tensions locally, the political battle lines were drawn in July, when the Republican-led legislature passed a bill requiring county sheriffs to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Democrats opposed it, and Democratic Governor Josh Stein vetoed the measure.

Republicans framed the veto override as a referendum on public safety. They launched an ad campaign attacking vulnerable Democrats ahead of next year’s elections, claiming the lawmakers “lacked the courage to stand up to criminal illegal immigrants.”

Democrats plan to counter by arguing that the Trump administration has overreached.

“There will be a Democratic voice in every community talking about what the federal government is doing to harm them,” said North Carolina Democratic Party chair Anderson Clayton.