Critics call for boycott of Charlotte-area company that provided ICE vehicles
As Border Patrol officers roam Charlotte looking for people to detain and deport, some locals are criticizing businesses profiting from the Trump administration’s moves.
Two U.S. Representatives for months have also questioned whether a contract between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Charlotte-area company Hendrick Motorsports is tied to political contributions made by the company’s owner.
ICE approved $2.2 million for 25 Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs from the company in August without going through the standard open bidding process. That bidding process allows companies to compete for the government’s business.
ICE said in a letter authorizing the funds that Hendrick Motorsports was the only company registered to do business with the federal government with the vehicles on hand.
“Urgency is warranted as these vehicles must be deployed to the streets immediately to provide a visible law enforcement presence, support public safety operations, and reinforce recruitment efforts,” the authorization letter reads.
But U.S. Representatives Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Shri Thanedar (D-MI) have questioned the agency’s motives, Zeteo first reported. Hendrick Motorsports’ owner, Joseph “Rick” Hendrick III, is a prominent Republican donor, the representatives point out in an inquiry letter to the agency.
While Hendrick largely donates to Republican candidates and the Republican Party, campaign finance records show he and his wife have previously donated to select Democratic campaigns, including those of current North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein in 2021 and 2019.
It’s unclear whether the vehicles are involved in on-the-ground enforcement operations by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Charlotte that began over the weekend. Both Border Patrol and ICE operate under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Homeland Security and ICE did not respond to requests for comment Monday.
The contract
Going through the standard, competitive bidding process for new ICE vehicles would result in “unacceptable delays” and hinder the department’s recruiting, the agency said in its August funds authorization letter.
Vehicles are normally requested through the General Services Administration, but the agency could not provide ICE the vehicles it needed in time, and authorized the agency to turn to a third party, the letter states.
Hendrick Motorsports was the single business outside the Washington D.C. metropolitan area that was registered to do business with the federal government and had the SUVs — which needed to be prewired for upfitting for law enforcement — available immediately. That’s despite outreach to multiple vendors, ICE’s letter states.
Hendrick Companies confirmed in an emailed statement to the Charlotte Observer Monday that Hendrick Motorsports Technical Solutions — a manufacturing company distinct from the Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR team — sold unmodified vehicles to the federal government.
“Government entities purchase thousands of vehicles each year from a broad network of automotive dealers, and our organization has sold to federal, state, and local agencies for decades… We do not participate in or control how agencies equip, brand, or use vehicles after purchase,” the email stated.
A Hendrick Companies spokesperson said the deal was routine and not political. Though ICE’s original funds authorization letter lists $2.2 million, the company got just under $1.5 million for the vehicles, a spokesperson confirmed.
The sale represents a small portion of the reported $100 million ICE is expected to spend for 1,000 custom wrapped vehicles, according to an August request for proposals document.
Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports’ owner, Rick Hendrick, has donated hundreds of thousands to national Republican groups and Republican lawmakers, campaign finance records show.
Lawmakers Thompson and Thanedar — the latter a ranking member of the Oversight, Investigations and Accountability Subcommittee — pointed that out in a September letter to ICE “expressing concern” about the deal. The letter also questioned whether ICE’s justification for circumventing the open bidding process was sound.
“It is unclear how ICE’s stated justification… meets the required threshold given vehicles are not a prerequisite for recruiting, and it takes several months to recruit, hire and train ICE officers and agents,” the letter reads.
Even when awarding noncompetitive contracts for urgent matters, agencies are required to request offers from “as many potential sources as is practicable under the circumstances,” the letter cites.
The bidding process is also designed to ensure the government is getting the best deal. At $1.5 million, ICE paid an average of $60,000 each for the Tahoe SUVs. Those retail for between $58,000 and $62,000 for a base model, without upfitting for law enforcement.
Posts circulating on social media have echoed the lawmakers’ questions about the ties and called for boycotts of Hendrick’s companies.
Thompson and Thanedar included eight questions about the procurement process in their letter to ICE and requested a response by Sept. 19. ICE has not responded as of Nov. 17, both lawmakers’ offices confirmed on Monday.
This story was originally published November 18, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Critics call for boycott of Charlotte-area company that provided ICE vehicles."