Bloomberg Law Asylum, ICE in Charlotte & Michael Flynn $50 Million Claim
Nov 17, 2025
Leon Fresco, an immigration attorney at Holland & Knight, shares insights on ICE's controversial operations in Charlotte and the Supreme Court's consideration of asylum cases. He discusses the implications of strategic choices in immigration enforcement and community responses. Zoe Tillman, a Bloomberg reporter, dives into the latest on settlement negotiations involving Michael Flynn and former Trump officials, shedding light on their motives and the Biden DOJ's defense strategy.
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Paramilitary ICE Operations Stir Community Fear
- Leon Fresco described masked, heavily armed agents in unmarked cars conducting arrests in Charlotte, sparking local fear.
- He said operations targeted landscapers, people in parking lots, churches and stores, heightening community division.
Strategic Relocation Of ICE Operations
- The administration shifts enforcement to cities like Charlotte to find less local friction and conservative courts that may yield favorable precedent.
- ICE aims to use reasonable-suspicion operations in jurisdictions where courts and circuits are more likely to uphold aggressive tactics.
Reasonable Suspicion Framing For Stops
- ICE frames operations using Justice Kavanaugh's reasonable-suspicion guidance to justify brief, contextual stops.
- That framing could help defendants argue stops complied with a narrower legal standard.