CHARLOTTE — Border Patrol agents arrested several people at construction sites across Charlotte on Monday. Customs and Border Protection does not release a list of places they make arrests at, however, witnesses provided pictures and interviews about arrests at two sites. The arrests happened around the same time. One was off Moores Chapel Road in west Mecklenburg County. The other was on Brookridge Lane in south Charlotte.
On Brookridge Lane, witnesses say subcontractors were filling the block for the foundation of an upscale home being built in the Greentree neighborhood off Providence Road. They say, “out of nowhere,” Border Patrol showed up. A witness says some subcontractors attempted to run but quickly realized they would be unsuccessful.
“They were trying to run off, but there’s nowhere to go back there,” the female witness said.
She says four people were detained. One of the four was a dad whose son was also working the site. The 16-year-old son was not arrested.
The boyfriend of the female witness who took videos of CBP arresting people at the site was working at the site when Border Patrol arrived. He says he was shocked to see this project targeted and has no idea why.
“It confused me and it really made me upset because this is a very respectable area and a very decent neighborhood,” he said. “For all that to be going on out here, especially with people that are working, it really makes me upset.”
Around the same time in west Mecklenburg County, witnesses say several construction workers were detained at this site off Moores Chapel Road.
Edwin Vilavilcencio saw it happen. With no workers left at the site, he and his friend put away all of the worker’s tools so they wouldn’t be stolen.
“It was pretty quick, because it seemed like it wasn’t even a minute,” he said. “They just pulled in and then they went out.”
He estimates at least two people were detained.
Business owner and general contractor Jad Tremel, who is not associated with projects at the two sites we saw targeted Monday, says the impacts to the construction industry will be profound.
“Not only are the people who have businesses be infected, people who are doing the right thing are being affected,” he said. “And then clients, potentially now going into Thanksgiving and Christmas, are going to be affected by things that could have been handled a little bit better.”
Tremel says he has workers who are legal who are afraid to work, right now. He sent a message to his clients describing the situation as “total pandemonium.”
“We have been praying that this nation would not forget that we’re all immigrants,” he said. “We need to set up a healthy processing system and not create fear and penalize people that are legal and hurting people that are just trying to make a living, and set up healthy channels for them to become residents if they’re not. It’s so disheartening.”
VIDEO: Charlotte woman’s viral video of Border Patrol agents questioning workers she hired to hang lights.
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