1 year later: Study examines the long-term impacts of ‘Operation Charlotte’s Web’

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - One year ago federal immigration agents filled the city as part of “Operation Charlotte’s Web”.

In just days, more than 425 people were arrested, triggering protests, shuttered businesses, and tens of thousands of absences within Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools as many were afraid to leave their homes. 

Related: South Meck students stage school walkout to protest Border Patrol’s Charlotte operation

Federal officials say agents were supposed to target “repeat violent offenders.” According to Customs and Border Protection, some of the people arrested had previously been charged with crimes like felony larceny, DUI, and illegal re-entry. 

In the year since the migrant community has worked to recover, and now we’re getting a better look at the long-term impacts from that week.

Monday night the Latin American Coalition, Carolina Migrant Network and the Urban Institute are coming together for a panel and presentation called “The Aftermath of CBP Enforcement”.

Over the course of about 10 months the Urban Institute interviewed families impact by the raids. They examined everything from financial to mental and emotional and overall economic impact on the families and the area.

Jamilah Espinosa, the Board Chair of the Latin American Coalition, says while businesses primarily in east Charlotte are slowly starting to return to normal, there is still a sense of fear in the migrant community.

Espinosa says of all the people interviewed for the study, children and young people were the most impacted emotionally.

“Children can be very resilient and they may not show you the immediate effects. Sometimes they’re quiet or they really don’t know how to express their emotions,” Espinosa said. “But months now, a year later, we are seeing the impact, whether that can be their grades, rebellion at home or at school, and also just suffering from losing a loved one. We have many children whose parents have either relocated because of fear or were deported, but these are US citizen children. And so we are seeing that the large impact really is on that younger population.”

Espinosa says the raids not only had an impact on undocumented migrants, but they also impacted the entire migrant community at large.

“What we saw is also those that did have work authorization or those that are green card holders and are authorized to live and work in the United States were too fearful. They just did not understand what was happening or they did see some of the reports in which US citizens were being detained,” Espinosa said. “That has had an impact in many industries among them. The construction industry has been one of those impacted where people were too fearful to go and either self-deported or just stopped working in that industry altogether.”

In the last few days, Espinosa says there’s a sense of cautious optimism after the midterm elections. She also says new comments from President Donald Trump Sunday night, saying the deportations were quote “too tough” and possibly hurt Republicans in the election could finally be a step towards policy reform.

She says the talk needs to become action.

“On both sides, we have not seen reform or true changes that have had an impact on the day-to-day lives of immigrants, or a change in the laws that would allow them to regularize their status to obtain legal status in the United States. So it’s a cautious optimism,” Espinosa said. “The President did say last night that he was willing to work with the Democrats to come to a deal on immigration. That is our hope more than anything, because these are real people. These are the people that are our own children’s classmates. These are the people that really help the economy function. And so our hope is that there is going to be something ahead for them.”

This isn’t the only event happening this week to mark the raids.

Manolo’s Bakery in east Charlotte is hosting a community event on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The event is called ‘Reclaiming the Narrative’, and will take place at the bakery, located on 4405 Central Ave.

Below is a list of previous web articles documenting ‘Operation Charlotte’s Web’ and the aftermath in the community:

• New details about Border Patrol’s Charlotte operation uncovered
• Community groups train volunteers to monitor Border Patrol operations in Charlotte
• ‘Your city stands with you’: Charlotte mayor expresses concern, support for community amid immigration operation
• 130 arrested in first days of Operation Charlotte’s Web, Homeland Security says
• Dozens protest Border Patrol’s Charlotte operation outside local Home Depot
• Border Patrol makes over 250 arrests in Charlotte, as residents weigh in on the agency’s presence
• South Meck students stage school walkout to protest Border Patrol’s Charlotte operation
• Homeland Security says operation in Charlotte ‘not over’ despite earlier reports
• Video from ICE agents shows chase amid Border Patrol operation in Charlotte
• Lawsuit says Manolo’s Bakery lost more than $50K in business during ‘Operation Charlotte’s Web’
• $100K set aside to help families affected by ‘Operation Charlotte’s Web,’ but where did the money go?
• ‘I started shaking’: Charlotte bakery owner describes encounter with former Border Patrol commander
• Operation Charlotte’s Web is still impacting Charlotte several months later
• ‘The People’s Hearings’ come to Charlotte: Community documents ICE experiences to shape future laws