The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Saturday that it has initiated immigration enforcement operations in Charlotte, N.C. “Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens hurting them, their families, or their neighbors,” Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement, The Associated Press reported.

“We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed,” she added.

Local officials, including Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles (D), criticized the federal action in a joint statement, saying the operations “are causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty.”

“We want people in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County to know we stand with all residents who simply want to go about their lives,” the statement said, also signed by County Commissioner Mark Jerrell and Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board member Stephanie Sneed.

Federal authorities had not previously announced the enforcement activity in Charlotte. However, Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden said Thursday that he had been informed by two federal officials that U.S. Customs and Border Patrol personnel would be arriving in the area either Saturday or early next week, Just the News reported.

“We value and welcome the renewed collaboration and open communication with our federal partners,” McFadden said in a statement. “It allows us to stay informed and be proactive in keeping Mecklenburg County safe and to maintain the level of trust our community deserves.”

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said ahead of the federal activity that it is not participating in the immigration enforcement operations.

Charlotte, a city of more than 900,000 residents, includes over 150,000 foreign-born individuals, according to local officials.

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) said Friday that most of the people detained in the recent federal operations do not have criminal convictions, and some are U.S. citizens. He encouraged residents to document any “inappropriate behavior” they witness and report it to local law enforcement.

The Trump administration has intensified efforts to address violent crime and illegal immigration in recent months, deploying National Guard troops to cities including Chicago, Washington, D.C., Memphis, and Los Angeles, while immigration authorities have carried out additional enforcement actions. Attempts to deploy federal personnel in Portland have been blocked by the courts.

Late last month, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem denied Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s request to suspend Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the state over the Halloween weekend.

Pritzker announced that he had sent a letter to Noem asking for a temporary pause in “immigration enforcement,” saying his goal was to ensure children in Chicago could safely enjoy the holiday weekend, implying that federal immigration enforcement agents were targeting kids.

But during an appearance on Fox News, the DHS secretary denied the request, noting that immigration enforcement efforts, which are primarily targeting illegal alien criminals, would actually make Chicago streets safer.

“No, we’re going to be out on the streets in full force and increase our activities to make sure kids are safe. Every day in Chicago, we’re arresting murderers, child pedophiles, those who have perpetuated assault and pornography against children,” she said.

“We’re going to be out there to make sure that they can be safe, enjoy the holidays, spend some time with their families and their neighbors and their communities, and they don’t have to be the victim of a crime because of these illegal aliens that are in our country victimizing them,” she added.

Earlier this month, Ray Lopez, a Democratic alderman representing Chicago’s 15th Ward, voiced support for President Donald Trump’s decision to increase the number of federal personnel deployed to the city, saying many of his constituents agree with the move.

In an interview with Fox News, Lopez was asked whether residents in his ward shared the views of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Pritzker, who have accused the Trump administration of “declaring war” on Chicago with its expanded federal presence.

“Absolutely not. There are many people in the city of Chicago who completely support having the additional resources to keep both ICE agents and community protesters safe,” Lopez said.