NEWS

Dear Readers,

This weekend, Border Patrol agents, whose jurisdiction is typically limited to 100 miles from an international border, arrested over 120 Charlotte residents because they appeared to be Latine. An unconstitutional practice that had been illegal since 2003, racial profiling was legalized by the Supreme Court a few weeks ago and deployed against our city this weekend.

Charlotte residents were taken from church and work. They were taken while doing errands and while outside of their homes. Probable cause and warrants were nowhere to be seen. United States citizens were arrested. Residents with no criminal history were arrested. They simply chose people who looked Latine, used any means necessary to subdue them, and took them away in handcuffs.

The agents wore masks and sunglasses to obscure their facial features. They drove unmarked SUVS and minivans. They outnumbered detainees 6 to 1. They were armed with semi-automatic weapons.

Living in the South means that every day I encounter folks from different points on the political spectrum. This week’s Border Patrol arrests in Charlotte have filled our news sources and social media feeds, temporarily breaking down the digital silos perpetuated by the algorithms. We’re all seeing the same videos from our local news channels. In real life, as they say, I see dismay and worry setting in among both conservatives and liberals.

To protect themselves, Latine families in the Charlotte region are staying home from work, school, afterschool activities, errands, and medical appointments.

We’re helping Circle de Luz with an emergency resource drive to provide & deliver food, household goods, and toiletries to the Latine families that Circle de Luz serves. Main Street Books has already collected 100 pounds of food & household goods to add to the outpouring of resources received by the Board and staff. Distribution has begun. THANK YOU! Please see a longer list of requested donations here.

This emergency drive is an extension of the annual Circle de Luz Winter Drive to collect winter clothes, games, and toys in preparation for the holidays. Donation of items for holiday gifts as well as ones that deliver sustenance are welcome.

Thank you to everyone who is showing up to protect and support our Latine community as the Border Patrol acts reprehensibly under deplorable orders. I can’t help but see these arrests as xenophobic kidnappings and their impact as domestic terror. It is all so very undemocratic.

With perseverance,

Adah