More than 250 arrested in Charlotte as immigration crackdown escalates

Charlotte's Democratic leaders say border agents are "stoking fear" in the city.

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Charlotte is the latest US city that Trump has targeted with federal troops, following similar measures in bigger cities like Chicago and Los Angeles earlier this year. Officials with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told the BBC that those arrested are criminals and gang members.

But local lawmakers and residents have railed against the detainments, which the federal government has dubbed "Operation Charlotte's Web". The state's Democratic governor has alleged people are being targeted because of their race.

In a statement released on Wednesday, a DHS spokesperson said the operation has led to the arrest of "some of the most dangerous criminal illegal aliens", including gang members.

Others arrested had been convicted of a range of crimes, including assault on law enforcement, driving while intoxicated, theft and tampering with government documents, the department said earlier.