Federal Immigration Enforcement

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​inclusive Charlotte: international, open, welcoming, diverse, relationship, together, immigrant, global, trust, outreach​​

​City services for an inclusive Charlotte

Charlotte is a city that values and appreciates diversity, and we want our city to be welcoming and safe for all people at all times. We appreciate the many contributions immigrant populations provide to our economy and cultural experience. As we continue to learn more about federal immigration law enforcement activities, we seek to address concerns we are hearing from our immigrant neighbors and visitors. We recognize people may feel vulnerable and marginalized.  There is a lot of confusion as we all try to understand these processes.

Charlotte has policies and programs aimed at easing the transition of residents from foreign countries into our community. We want our immigrant communities to be well connected with the resources we offer to reduce barriers for immigrant integration, provide learning opportunities for residents, improve immigrant trust in community policing and to celebrate business success of our foreign born residents.

City services for an inclusive Charlotte:




Around the Crown podcast

In this edition of the city’s Around the Crown podcast, host Gina DiPietro sits down to discuss current happenings with regard to refugees from across the United States with the Executive Director of the Carolina Refugee Resettlement Agency Marsha Hirsch (2m 01sec). ​
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​​Resources

Immigrant Integration Implementation Team: 

  • ​Works together to address community concerns and discuss barriers that exist for immigrants accessing services.  Welcoming Charlotte Partnership: Brings together the community to discuss and collaborate around immigrant integration. 
  • Charlotte International Cabinet: Advisory board that provides input and recommendations pertaining to international affairs of domestic and foreign origin. The Cabinet regularly hosts events that provide direct outreach and touch on topics that are important to the immigrant community.​

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  • Civic Leadership Academy- Neighborhood and Business Services Community Engagement created a program designed to help participants grow in their leadership, analyze issues using data, connect with decision makers and other Charlotte leaders, and make a difference in their communities.
     
  • The City's Community Relations Committee offers education and outreach programs specific for immigrant populations. The CRC partners with the Latin American Coalition and NORSAN media to share information about city services with the Latino community. 
  • Community Relations has also partnered with organizations serving the international community on Fair Housing law. To date, nearly 120 service providers have been trained on how to assist their clients with identified discrimination and filing complaints.
     
  • The City's Neighborhood Services Community Engagement team provides immigrant outreach. Immigrant populations are being encouraged to take advantage of programs such as Neighborhood Board retreats, Neighborhood matching grants and Adopt-City-Streets. 

  • This team's collaboration with City Code Enforcement has allowed for stronger relationships between immigrant populations and city staff to ensure residents fully understand expectations of them in their neighborhoods to prevent code violations. ​​

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  • The city invites immigrants to serve on city advisory boards.
     
  • The Mayor's International Community Awards honors immigrants for their contributions to making Charlotte a global city.
     
  • City economic development efforts and Charlotte Business Inclusion aim to position immigrant business owners for success. Portions of CharlotteBusinessResources.com are in Spanish and several partners offer Spanish language resources to grow businesses.
     
  • The city recruits organizations and promotes activities taking place during national Welcoming Week. This annual celebration brings together immigrants and U.S.-born residents in a spirit of unity to raise awareness of the benefits of welcoming everyone – including new Americans. ​​

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  • The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department is focused on fighting crime and protecting public safety for all people, including immigrants. CMPD officers do not enforce immigration laws. 
     
  • CMPD's Community Engagement Division offers outreach programs designed to increase trust between immigrant residents and local officers.  
  • All Code enforcement officers added a sticker to the back of their business cards that explains simply their work in Spanish. 
      • "Soy un inspector de la Ciudad de Charlotte Cumplimiento de Código. Inspeccionamos propiedades para mejorar el bienestar y apariencia del vecindario." Translated, "I am an inspector with the City of Charlotte Code Enforcement. We inspect property to improve the wellness and appearance of the neighborhood." With this addition to the business cards Code Enforcement Officers can quickly put residents at ease during the initial interaction.

​Contacts and more information


To confirm U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency activities, please follow @ICEgov on Twitter or call the Tipline 1-866-DHS-2-ICE

For more information about city services and programs for immigrant populations:

Luis Matta
Community Relations Specialist
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations Committee
Phone: 704-336-2017; 704-804-4150
lmatta@charlottenc.gov

Marcelo Anselmo 
Northeast Service Area - Code Enforcement Inspector
Neighborhood & Business Services
Phone: 704-336-3842 
manselmo@charlottenc.gov

Alexis Gordon
International Relations Manager and Chief of protocol
Neighborhood & Business Services
Phone: 1-704-336-5615
agordon@charlottenc.gov

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​What people are saying in Charlotte


“The Welcoming Charlotte Partnership aims to make Charlotte more prosperous, safe, more inclusive and stronger – for all people.”    

​“Equal access to housing is a right, not a privilege.” The Community Relations Committee aims to protect all residents from discrimination when they are renting or buying a home.   


Did you know? Here are some statistics ...


  • Over 300 organizations in the Charlotte region have a focus on serving the international community or helping Charlotteans be better global citizens. 

  • The Charlotte area boasts 1,018 foreign-owned firms that employ more than 66,000 people and represent parent companies from 45 different countries.  (Charlotte Chamber)  

  • The 21 members of the Charlotte International Cabinet are appointed by the Mayor and City Council and meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. These meetings are open to everyone, the public is invited to attend. 

Official City Statements                                                

                                            

Thursday, February 16, 2017
City issues statement​ on immigration enforcement                                       

​Additional Resources 


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Federal immigration enforcement-related activities in Charlotte 


 
The City of Charlotte celebrates the many contributions our immigrant populations provide to our economy and our cultural experience. We understand and want to address concerns that some of our immigrant neighbors and visitors have about the federal immigration law enforcement activities over the last few weeks. Charlotte is a city that values and appreciates diversity, and we want our city to be welcoming and safe for all people at all times.

 
We are providing information on recent activities of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, which enforces federal laws to promote homeland security and public safety. This webpage provides official statements from the city, CMPD and additional resources to keep our community informed. 

 
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