The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is calling out the U.S. Border Patrol after a five-day immigration sweep in Charlotte that has residents terrified and civil-rights advocates ready for a legal showdown. According to ACLU of North Carolina legal director Kristi Graunke, Border Patrol agents wearing non-surgical masks to hide their identities may have straight-up violated North Carolina’s state mask law — all while allegedly racially profiling Latino residents, busting onto private property without warrants, and detaining people with legal status.
On Saturday, November 15, 2025, the Border Patrol launched what community members are calling a “military-style raid” across immigrant-heavy neighborhoods. In just five days, more than 250 people were detained — and videos surfaced showing agents storming private yards, rolling up on landscapers while they worked, breaking car windows, and even detaining U.S. citizens.
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Residents are demanding answers. The ACLU says this entire operation raises questions about legality, accountability, and straight-up abuse of power.
NC MASK LAW VIOLATION: ACLU SAYS BORDER PATROL KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING
Under North Carolina’s long-standing mask and hood prohibition, nobody — including law enforcement — is allowed to wear a mask “to conceal their identity” in public unless it’s surgical or medical-grade for health reasons.
Graunke said the photos she reviewed show agents wearing cloth, non-medical masks strictly to hide their faces — and that puts them in direct conflict with state law.
Federal officials brushed off the racial-profiling claims but did not address the mask-law question. And that silence is telling.
ACLU SAYS BORDER AGENTS WERE TRESPASSING & TARGETING LATINOS
Beyond the masks, the ACLU says the entire operation was a civil-rights disaster.
Charlotte residents reported seeing agents:
- Entering private yards after being told to leave.
- Breaking the window of a U.S. citizen, Willy Aceituno, who refused a search.
- Handcuffing Aceituno, then releasing him with no charges.
- Detaining another man while he filmed their actions — allegedly without Miranda rights or access to counsel.
North Carolina’s mask/hood statute wasn’t created for immigration raids; it was intended for people hiding their identities at protests or while committing crimes. But the ACLU says the law applies to anyone who conceals their identity in public — including Border Patrol.
The ACLU of NC is urging anyone who believes they were targeted, trespassed upon, or wrongfully detained to file a complaint through their website.
