By: Hailey Phillips

Fear has settled into the daily lives of many Hispanic families across the Triad as immigration enforcement activity increases in North Carolina. What once felt distant now feels close to home, pushing community members to stay indoors, miss appointments, and avoid public spaces. As reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations spread, uncertainty has grown, leaving families unsure of what each day might bring. For many, the concern is not just about detainment, but about the possibility of sudden separation from loved ones.

The local Triad community’s concerns have been raised as Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) presence increases in North Carolina. According to WXII 12 News’s Nov. 18 article by Serra Sowers, “Triad Hispanic community fears customs and border patrol raids come too close to home,” reports Hispanic and Latino clients have stopped showing up to doctor, orthopedic, and cardiology offices and jobs. They prefer phone call appointments instead. Denise Trejo, an operations manager at Hogar del Immigrante (a non-profit organization that supports the Hispanic and Latino community in the triad), states, “Like, you wake up, and you don’t know if you’re going to see your children again or you don’t get to come back home again, or something is going to happen.”

According to abc 45 NEWS Nov. 18 article by Bailey Thomas, “Triad officials respond amid growing ICE raid concerns,” over 100 people were arrested in Charlotte on November 15, 2025 by a targeted operation. These raids heightened fear in the Winston-Salem community as it is unclear if and when ICE will arrive in the local area. Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough who works for Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office addressed these growing concerns stating his office will not participate in oppressing non-criminal members of the community. Governor Josh Stein of North Carolina states, “We don’t know how many people they’ve detained, we don’t know how many of them have criminal records, we don’t know pretty much anything (abc45.com).” Stein urges the federal agencies to focus on apprehending violent criminals and not innocent residents.

ICE has not released details on whether enforcement operations will expand into the Triad or how many people may be affected. Local organizations say fear continues to limit in-person activity among Hispanic residents, while county officials maintain they will not assist in targeting non-criminal individuals. As federal enforcement efforts continue across North Carolina, community members remain uncertain about what comes next.

Photo Credit: 88.5 WFDD – Public Radio For The Piedmont