U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will focus its raid efforts on three cities each week, with a goal of at least 1,200 immigrant detentions per day, according to NBC News.
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will focus its raid efforts on three cities each week, with a goal of at least 1,200 immigrant detentions per day, according to NBC News.
- An estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants currently live in the U.S.
- The plan is for ICE operations to focus on three different cities next week
- ICE targets individuals with criminal records; warns of “collateral damage”
Just a week into his presidency, Trump has taken radical steps on immigration, after promising to carry out the largest mass deportation of immigrants in U.S. history.
These actions are part of a broader strategy by the administration of President Donald Trump, who during his presidential campaign prioritized border security and strict enforcement of immigration laws, promising to deport all undocumented immigrants.
According to NBC News on Tuesday, ICE’s goal is to focus on three major cities each week for its operations.
This week began with raids in Chicago on Sunday and continued Tuesday morning in New York, in an operation led on the ground by the new Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem.
According to sources cited by the U.S. network, the third city this week will be Aurora, a predominantly Hispanic suburb of Denver (Colorado).
An estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants currently live in the U.S.
President Donald Trump has promised unprecedented measures to deport as many of them as possible and curb the flow of more migrants arriving at the southern border.
In his first days in office, Trump declared a national emergency at the border.
He announced the end of the so-called “catch and release” practice—when migrants seeking asylum are given court dates and then released pending those proceedings—
He attempted to overturn the long-standing constitutional right of birthright citizenship, a move that immediately faced legal challenges and was at least temporarily blocked by a federal judge.
The plan is for ICE operations to focus on three different cities next week
Additionally, sources cited by NBC News and The Washington Post indicated that the Trump administration has set a daily target of between 1,200 and 1,500 immigrant detentions for ICE agents across its 25 offices nationwide.
In just one day, on Monday, January 27, ICE detained 1,179 people, the highest number since Trump’s return to office. Of those, only 613—52%—are considered “criminal arrests” of immigrants with criminal records in the U.S. or pending cases in other countries.
The raids have sparked varied reactions in affected communities. While some sectors applaud efforts to remove dangerous individuals from the streets, others criticize the immigration policies as excessively harsh.
ICE targets individuals with criminal records; warns of “collateral damage”
The Trump administration has stated that the crackdown targets criminals, but there has been concern that law-abiding immigrants with various forms of legal immigration status may also be detained, also known as “collateral arrests.”
When asked about collateral arrests, Sam Olson, director of enforcement and removal operations at the Chicago field office, said they were possible.
“We are tasked with enforcing immigration laws,” he said. “If someone is here illegally, whether they have committed crimes or not, there is a possibility they will be arrested.”
Officials have not always disclosed the number of immigrants with and without criminal records who have been arrested.
“Sanctuary cities keep us out of the jails,” said Homan, who led ICE as acting director during Trump’s first administration.
According to Homan, this creates significant security issues: When an undocumented immigrant arrested for a serious crime is released by local authorities instead of being deported, “it endangers the community.”
“When we find them, they will be with others, and if they are in the country illegally, they will come too,” he said.
He emphasized that anyone in the country illegally is “on the table.”
