It’s been an intense and challenging week across North Carolina.
The arrival of U.S. Border Patrol in Charlotte created fear, confusion and uncertainty among immigrants in our communities. Verified videos from journalists in our network show windows broken, weapons drawn and arrests happening in front yards and outside local businesses. People are afraid to leave their homes. Many don’t know what to believe.
Moments like this remind us why trusted, timely reporting matters—and why partnership across our state’s news organizations is essential.
At NC Local, our team focused on reporting information that answers the questions people are asking right now: Why are federal agents here? What authority do they have? Where are people being taken? What should community members know?
We’re working closely with Spanish-language outlets, community partners and newsroom leaders to verify information, share updates responsibly and publish clear, service-oriented reporting that helps people make sense of what’s happening.
Our Spanish-language newsroom colleagues are feeling the impacts of this week especially deeply while going above and beyond to provide an essential service to their communities. As my friend and colleague Paola Jaramillo of Enlace Latino NC told us: "The current situation is complex for Latino journalists… We make every effort to ensure our reporters feel comfortable and safe, but this also limits the scope of our coverage at times."
This week, we’ve been on the phone with funders and support organizations securing basic safety gear—things like protective vests, AirTags and first-aid supplies—and weighing the risks of sending our own team out to verify events on the ground. Colleagues in Chicago, who have been through similar situations, urged us to prepare for rapid escalation and to center safety at every step.
And yet, what gives me hope is how North Carolina’s journalism community shows up for one another. Journalists across the state are checking in with each other, sharing verified information, coordinating resources and making sure our immigrant communities aren’t left in the dark. We are grateful to be working alongside Enlace Latino NC, La Noticia, WFAE, The Charlotte Observer, The Assembly, the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative and many others who are serving their communities with courage and care.
North Carolina’s regions are distinct—from the mountains to the Piedmont to the coastal plain—and our communities are as diverse as our landscape. But we share a statewide identity and a need for reliable, accessible information. That’s why NC Local exists: to connect people in all 100 counties to our state, to one another and to the issues that shape our lives. To everyone who supports this work, whether you’re a newsroom partner, community member, funder or reader, thank you.
Below is some of the reporting from this week, both from our newsroom and from some of our partner newsrooms across the state. Thanks for reading and for supporting the work of journalists across the state.
With gratitude,
Shannan Bowen, NC Local CEO
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