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Charlotte Lost 40 Percent of Commuter Traffic During 4-Day Border Patrol Operation

Megyn Kelly Show · Dems EAT Their Own in California, with Ana Kasparian, and Trump's "Softer" Deportation Approach, with Gregory Bovino | Ep. 1317 · May 14, 2026
Charlotte Lost 40 Percent of Commuter Traffic During 4-Day Border Patrol Operation
Megyn Kelly Show
Megyn Kelly Show
Dems EAT Their Own in California, with Ana Kasparian, and Trump's "Softer" Deportation Approach, with Gregory Bovino | Ep. 1317
"Take a look at Charlotte, 153,000 commuters. 30 to 40% of that 153,000 quit commuting when we were in Charlotte for Operation Charlotte's Web on that 4-day operation. That was just a 4-day operation, really, 4-day operation. And when you've got 30 to 40% taken out, well, that correlates pretty darn well with 100 million. Same thing with the school children. They just revamped that estimate. Not a lot of absenteeism in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools, 30% plus while we were there for that 4-day operation."
During a brief 4-day Border Patrol enforcement operation in Charlotte, North Carolina, commuter traffic dropped by 30-40% and school absenteeism exceeded 30% as illegal aliens stayed home to avoid detection. Bovino cited these statistics as evidence supporting his claim of 100 million illegal aliens in the United States. He argued the dramatic behavioral changes during short enforcement operations prove conventional population estimates of 12-15 million illegal aliens are vastly understated.

About this episode

Megyn Kelly hosted Gregory Bovino, former Border Patrol Commander at Large under Trump, for his first extended interview since retiring in March. Bovino delivered explosive claims about the Trump administration's quiet abandonment of mass deportations following the Minneapolis deaths of Renee Goode and Alex Preddy. He revealed the administration dismantled roving Border Patrol strike forces in six major cities, reversed Stephen Miller's visa cuts, and pushed out all hardline immigration enforcement officials including himself, Kristi Noem, Cory Lewandowski, and Chief Mike Banks. Bovino claimed Border Czar Tom Homan and CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott never contacted him once during his year-long operation and accused both of talking tough on television while lacking the will for true enforcement. He stated the administration has returned to de facto amnesty for illegal aliens who avoid committing additional serious crimes. Most controversially, Bovino insisted approximately 100 million illegal aliens currently live in the United States, citing 30-40% drops in Charlotte commuter traffic and school attendance during a brief 4-day enforcement operation as evidence. He warned that without resumed interior enforcement, border crossings are surging again in Laredo, Texas, with daily apprehensions rising from 90-100 under strict enforcement to nearly 500 currently. Bovino argued total spectrum immigration enforcement including E-Verify, cutting remittances, and roving patrols is essential to cause self-deportations. He suggested Republicans in Congress and pro-Israel lobbies influenced Trump to soften enforcement, and predicted American citizens will die as a result of the policy shift. The interview concluded with Bovino claiming the prostitution allegations used to force out Chief Banks had been previously investigated and cleared, suggesting the story was planted by administration insiders to remove another mass deportation hardliner.

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