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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Holly Patrick

Border Patrol agents question Christmas light workers as crackdown escalates

Two workers were hanging Christmas lights in a North Carolina homeowner's garden when a Customs and Border Patrol agent walked onto the lawn and began questioning them on Saturday (15 November).

Rheba Hamilton filmed agents speaking to the workers in Spanish, asking them which country they were from, in her East Charlotte front yard.

One agent told the workers, "If you are a citizen, there should be no problems," and asked, "Do you know which country you are from, sir? Are you an American citizen?"

They did not respond, and the agents did not make any arrests.

Federal officials confirmed that a surge in immigration enforcement in the city had begun, with agents seen making arrests in multiple locations on Saturday.

Donald Trump’s administration has defended federal enforcement operations in locations such as Los Angeles and Chicago as necessary for fighting crime and enforcing immigration laws.

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