Businesses remain quiet as immigrant families stay inside

'They’re going to want to see that the agents have actually left'

The following article appeared in the Nov. 21, 2025, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with smart and original local news for Charlotte. We offer free and paid subscription plans. More info here.

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Charlotte’s immigrant community remains hunkered down

Business was slow on Thursday afternoon inside the Compare Foods in the East Town Market shopping center on North Sharon Amity Road in east Charlotte, as many residents are not venturing out amid Border Patrol arrests. (Photo by Tony Mecia/The Charlotte Ledger)

Amid conflicting reports of whether the U.S. Border Patrol remained in Charlotte on Thursday, people with ties to the city’s immigrant community say getting back to normal could take days or weeks.

Despite statements from local public officials that say Border Patrol’s local operation is over, those in Charlotte’s immigrant communities are scared it’s a trick, Karla Cruz, vice president of operations and programs at Spark Centro, told The Ledger. Spark Centro is part of the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte. She said many members of Charlotte’s Latino community, including business owners, remain hunkered down out of fear.