UPTOWN — ICE agents reportedly detained the mirrored statue outside the Bechtler Museum on Saturday after deeming it “suspiciously international.”
Witnesses say the agents approached the towering, chrome creature around 10 a.m., demanded to see identification, then forced it to the ground when it failed to respond.
“They kept shouting ‘Where are you from?’” said one Uptown office worker who watched the scene unfold. “It just stood there. It’s a statue.”
The arrest comes amid rising ICE activity in Charlotte, where local immigrant-owned businesses have reported mass cancellations, plummeting revenue, and growing fear among customers and staff. Across North Carolina, agents continue targeting Latino residents at traffic stops, construction sites, and public events, detaining citizens and non-citizens alike for “looking like someone they’re looking for.”
ICE spokesperson Brad Harnett told reporters the statue was detained under suspicion of “unauthorized artistic expression and foreign materials of unknown origin.” He later clarified that the department does not racially profile and that “art that looks too French or Mexican will always raise concerns.”
The statue was built by French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle and has become a symbol of Charlotte’s arts scene. It was released later that day after agents confirmed it is bolted to the ground and cannot technically leave the country.
“We’re just following protocol,” said an agent, before tackling a vaguely ethnic pigeon for refusing to provide a REAL ID.
At press time, ICE agents were reportedly circling the Firebird again, this time demanding it tell them who it works for.
