Michael Whatley, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in North Carolina, praised the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on July 3, 2025 for delivering "permanent border security." The law gave ICE $45 billion for detention through September 2029, and nearly 70,000 people were in ICE detention by March 2026.
When Border Patrol agents arrived in Charlotte in November 2025, Whatley wrote that "We welcome the arrival of ICE agents to Charlotte." Agents made 370 arrests and about one in five Charlotte-Mecklenburg students stayed out of school. Whatley described the people targeted as "dangerous criminals," but by the agency's own figures about two-thirds of those first arrested had no prior encounters with the law.
Michael Whatley's Statements on ICE, the Charlotte Operation and Enforcement Money
- Whatley Praised the Law That Gave ICE $45 Billion for Detention as "Permanent Border Security". As chair of the Republican National Committee, Michael Whatley called the final House passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act "a huge win for all Americans" in a July 3, 2025 statement. The statement listed "permanent border security" among what the law delivered. The law gave ICE $45 billion for detention, a 308 percent increase on an annual basis over ICE's 2024 detention budget, and $29.85 billion for enforcement and removal through September 30, 2029. Nearly 70,000 people were in ICE detention by March 2026, and ICE recorded 31 detainee deaths in 2025, a two-decade high. The same law ends Medicaid and CHIP eligibility for refugees, asylees and others starting October 1, 2026, and CBO projects these restrictions will leave 1.4 million lawfully present immigrants uninsured. A Marquette Law School poll in early 2026 found 60% of adults disapprove of how ICE handles its job.
- Whatley Welcomed the November 2025 Border Patrol Operation in Charlotte. As Border Patrol and ICE agents began the operation in Charlotte that federal officials called "Charlotte's Web," Michael Whatley posted on X on November 18, 2025: "We welcome the arrival of ICE agents to Charlotte." In an interview with Fox News the next day he said, "It's unfortunate that the Trump administration has to go into a city like Charlotte and help to clean up the city." Agents made 370 arrests in Charlotte by November 20, 2025. Roughly one in five students was absent across Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools during the operation, WFAE reported.
- Whatley Said the Charlotte Operation Targeted "Dangerous Criminals," but Most of Those First Arrested Had No Criminal Record. In the same November 18, 2025 post, Michael Whatley said Roy Cooper's vetoes had kept sheriffs from honoring ICE detainers, "inviting dangerous criminals to remain on our streets and communities rather than face federal deportation." Customs and Border Protection said that of 130 people arrested in the first two days in Charlotte, 44 had criminal records, so about two-thirds of those detained had no prior encounters with the law, WFAE reported. Nationally, 65% of people booked into ICE detention in fiscal 2025 had no criminal convictions and over 93% had no history of violent offenses, by Cato Institute data cited by the American Immigration Council.
What the Charlotte Operation Michael Whatley Welcomed Meant for North Carolina
- Closed businesses. During the Charlotte operation several businesses, particularly Hispanic-owned ones, closed and many construction sites sat idle, WBTV reported on November 20, 2025.
- Empty classrooms. A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools curriculum specialist told WFAE he walked into a classroom that should have had 27 students and only six showed up.
- Children afraid of detention. The president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Association of Educators described a child arriving at school with a handwritten tag saying "I am a US citizen."
Frequently Asked Questions About Michael Whatley on Immigration and enforcement
What is Michael Whatley's record on immigration under Trump?
Michael Whatley praised the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's "permanent border security" when it passed in July 2025, an endorsement of the law's ICE detention and deportation money. In November 2025 he welcomed the Border Patrol and ICE operation in Charlotte and blamed Roy Cooper's vetoes for it. He called the people targeted "dangerous criminals," while federal figures showed most of those first arrested had no criminal record.
Did Michael Whatley support the Border Patrol raids in Charlotte?
Yes. Michael Whatley posted that "We welcome the arrival of ICE agents to Charlotte," and WFAE described his statement as one of the strongest Republican statements in support of the operation. He told Fox News that if Cooper had not vetoed detainer legislation, "these people would not have been on the street."
Does Michael Whatley support the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's money for ICE?
Yes. Michael Whatley's July 3, 2025 RNC statement counted "permanent border security" among the law's achievements. The American Immigration Council estimates the law directs $170.7 billion toward immigration and border enforcement and could support a detention population of 116,000 people by 2029.
Last updated: 2026-10-25