Federal immigration agents descended on Charlotte, North Carolina, this weekend in a sweeping operation that sparked backlash from residents and city leaders. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), along with the FBI, DEA, and several other federal agencies, have been marshaled together to target major, non-border metropolitan areas as part of a stricter immigration enforcement strategy. “We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed," Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for DHS, said in a statement. Charlotte had not previously been highlighted as a primary focus of enhanced federal immigration enforcement in the same way as cities like Chicago or Los Angeles. Under this program, participating local officers are authorized to enforce certain federal immigration laws during their normal law enforcement duties.