Federal immigration agents are on the ground in Raleigh, North Carolina, with plans to conduct operations as early as Tuesday, Mayor Janet Cowell told CNN affiliate WRAL.
Federal authorities haven’t shared who they’re targeting or given any clear timeline for when their operations might be finished, she told the outlet in a phone interview Monday.
CNN has reached out to the mayor’s office for details.
“My sense is that they believe that there are … folks [who] are here [who] have committed crimes and are in the country illegally, and they will probably [be] going to parts of town where they feel like they can intercept those individuals,” Cowell told WRAL.
“We didn’t ask for this presence … We feel like the Raleigh police are doing a great job here locally,” Cowell said, noting local police will be doing normal patrols in the community.
“The biggest message here is that we know some people will be concerned. Some will feel threatened. They can call the police if needed,” Cowell said.
The move comes as the Department of Homeland Security recently turned its attention to Charlotte, North Carolina, where more than 130 people were detained over the weekend in an immigration enforcement effort. At least 44 of those arrested had criminal records, according to DHS.
