Hundreds protest Charlotte DHS enforcement at State Capitol in Raleigh

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Hundreds of people marched from Moore Square to the State Capitol in downtown Raleigh to protest what they saw happening in Charlotte.

"I personally think that the far overreach of the federal government sending these ICE officers into our cities and causing this great stock of fear mongering is action enough for us, the people, to take a stand and let the government know that this is not OK," said Jorge Rodriguez from Raleigh.

It all came a day after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched Operation Charlotte's Web, which resulted in more than 80 arrests. In a statement, DHS said the operation was targeting "the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens."

The group Siembra NC, which monitors Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in North Carolina, said it was the largest single-day immigration raid it has seen.

The group also questioned some of the tactics it claims are being used -- targeting parking lots and stores, and in some cases, people who are citizens have been detained.

"We've already seen U.S. citizens being taken out of their vehicle by force moments after having been questioned about their nationality, their birthplace by agents moments before," said Emanuel Gomez-Gonzalez. "We're seeing people being questioned about their birthplace, trying to head into the grocery store. That's what we're seeing."

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Protesters in Raleigh also called on Gov. Josh Stein to do more.

On Sunday night, Stein weighed in, saying, "If you know that we have violent criminals in Charlotte who are undocumented, we want them out, too. Everyone wants to be safe in their communities, but the actions of too many are doing the exact opposite in Charlotte."

Stein went on to say that the U.S. immigration system needs reform, including a pathway to legal status for those to live, work, and pay taxes.

As for future ICE actions, some are concerned that what happened in Charlotte could reach other parts of the state, including the Triangle.

"We now live in a state where HB10 has made it so that these, this kind of cooperation between law enforcement and ICE is in place," Gomez said. "So there are concerns for members of our community that extend beyond just what is happening in Charlotte."

Charlotte has been beset by violent crime this year, most notably the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, 23, who was stabbed to death on a Charlotte light rail train in August by a repeat offender with an extensive history of violence.

That murder, which sent shockwaves through the nation, led to "Iryna's Law," legislation named after Zarutska that aims to eliminate certain forms of cashless bail and establish stricter pretrial release requirements for violent offenses. Stein signed it into law in early October.