Although more than three months have passed since the largest immigration operation in North Carolina – Operation Charlotte’s Web, which resulted in more than 1,300 arrests – Latino families in Charlotte continue to face serious difficulties. According to various local organizations, the fear of being detained has impacted their finances, access to medical services, food, mental health resources, and has led to lower grades, particularly for children.
Addressing these problems effectively is impossible for a single local organization, as each one tackles specific needs. Therefore, before, during and after the operation, nine Latino organizations shared volunteers and information. To amplify their impact, they formed the Charlotte Latino Justice Alliance.
An initiative to protect Latino immigrants
In response to increasingly anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric and the impact of the Border Patrol’s November 2025 immigration raids on Latino families, nine Latino-led organizations decided to join forces to form an alliance. This coalition seeks to ensure that immigrants have access to resources such as knowledge of their rights and to promote local policies that protect immigrants.
This alliance was officially announced last monthon February 19 during a press conference at the Latin American Coalition. The member organizations are :
• Action NC
• Carolina Migrant Network
• Circle of Light
• Wake up
• Hispanic Federation
• Latin American Coalition
• NC Congress of Latino Organizations
• ourBRIDGE for KIDS
• Latinx Power
“Despite our growth and contributions, our community continues to face serious and persistent challenges. Many families still encounter barriers to accessing healthcare, education, legal protection, and economic opportunities … We know that when we work in isolation, our impact is limited. That is why we created this alliance,” commented José Hernández París, director of the Latin American Coalition.
This union aims to create a united front to share resources, provide support during times of crisis and advocate for the rights of Latino families in the city. It arose from concerns that federal and state immigration policies, such as the passage of HB-10 and HB-318, would negatively impact the Latino community in North Carolina.
Alliance advocates for CMS to protect Latino students
“Unfortunately, what we feared most happened in November, and one of the main things we want to do is advocate for not only the schools, but also the city and municipality to take very concrete steps to protect our families in the event of a similar crisis,” said Lariza Garzón, director of the Hispanic Federation in North Carolina.
Among these steps, they promote that the schools of the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System (CMS) should:
• Allow the distribution of informational materials, such as “Know Your Rights” brochures, within your premises.
• Expand mental health services in Spanish for Latino students affected by the raids.
• Train your staff on how to support students affected by family separation or migration stress.
• Do not punish students for being absent during immigration operations in the city, such as those that occurred during Operation Charlotte’s Web. Instead, allow virtual learning in these cases.
Although the operation was in November, its impact is still being felt
These are part of their proposal to address the challenge of school absenteeism due to fear of immigration raids and the educational difficulties resulting from missing classes. However, the organizations assert that Latino families, three months after the arrival of the Border Patrol, face problems such as:
• Isolation and fear of going to work, shopping or going to church.
• Limited access to health services.
• Emotional and psychological impact due to the constant fear of being deported and separation from their loved ones.
• Malnutrition in some households because of lack of access to food.
• Lack of trust in institutions.
“These are problems that existed, but they definitely worsened,” Garzon added. This magnified, for example, the lack of access to adequate food, losing a job due to fear of going to work; this limited or caused families to lose their income. The operation was in November, but its impact is still being felt today and will continue for months, whether or not another operation takes place.”
Since 2025, federal budget cuts have impacted the stability of organizations that assist immigrants throughout the state. This situation, coupled with the effects of immigration enforcement operations, has significantly increased the workload for those working in these organizations. Given this scenario, sharing information, resources and volunteers would allow for better support of families.
Yulians Montiel is a writer for La Noticia. This article is made available through the Shifting Ground program of the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative.