The Trump administration is preparing to expand its aggressive nationwide immigration crackdown by sending teams of Border Patrol agents – including armored vehicles and special operations personnel – into two additional U.S. cities, according to internal DHS documents reviewed by CBS News.
The plans mark the next phase of Trump’s controversial mass deportation campaign, which has already reached Chicago, Los Angeles, and other locations far from the southern border.
According to the documents and multiple U.S. officials, the next targets are Charlotte, North Carolina, and New Orleans, Louisiana, where Border Patrol agents are preparing to launch large-scale operations similar to the highly visible arrests conducted throughout earlier deployments.
In Charlotte, federal command centers are already being established, with operations expected to begin as early as next week, sources familiar with the planning told CBS News.
Once those operations begin, DHS is expected to shift focus to New Orleans, where as many as 200 Border Patrol agents may be deployed. Armored vehicles - including “BearCats" - have been requested for both cities, along with special operations teams, documents show. Internally, the operations have been given codenames: "Charlotte Web" and "Catahoula Crunch."
Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, appeared to confirm the broader expansion during a Fox News interview Friday afternoon, while refusing to identify the specific cities involved.
“I’m not going to verify where we’re going,” he told host Will Cain. “We’re going to a lot of cities."
He added: “You’re going to see more operations in more major cities, mainly sanctuary cities, cause that’s where our biggest problem is.”
Previous operations have sparked protests, accusations of excessive force, and fierce local pushback in the cities that have already been targeted.