The administration of US President Donald Trump has escalated its campaign against immigrants, after the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency carried out nearly 10,000 arrests in just five days at the end of last June, at a rate of nearly 2,000 arrests per day, the largest pace the country has witnessed since the start of the mass deportation policy.
According to data reviewed by both The Associated Press and The New York Times, the administration has changed its approach from noisy campaigns targeting specific cities to less noisy, more widespread arrests across the United States, but more intensive and impactful on the lives of immigrants.
Although the Department of Homeland Security justifies the campaign by claiming it targets “criminals and dangerous people,” the facts on the ground indicate that arrests have also affected immigrants who were routinely visiting immigration offices, driving their cars, on their way to work or church, or while walking in the streets, sparking a new wave of fear within immigrant communities.
According to the sources, the White House asked immigration officials to increase the pace of arrests, adopting 2,000 arrests per day as a new target. Most of the agency's personnel were also directed to work seven days a week, and about 80% of the manpower was allocated to raids and arrests.
This escalation reflects the Trump administration's determination to fulfill its pledge to carry out the largest deportation campaign in US history, taking advantage of increased agency budgets and the hiring of thousands of new personnel, as well as court rulings that strengthened the president's powers in immigration matters.
The Department of Homeland Security says its message is “clear”: anyone who enters the United States illegally “will be found, arrested, and deported.” However, human rights organizations and immigration lawyers argue that this policy has gone beyond targeting those with criminal records to include immigrants who face no criminal charges, have open immigration files, or keep their appointments with authorities.
The number of people detained inside immigration detention centers has also risen to more than 63,000, indicating the expansion of the arrest campaign, amid warnings of increasing pressure on detention facilities and worsening humanitarian conditions there.
Critics of the administration argue that the shift from media campaigns to quiet, daily arrests does not mean loosening the security grip, but rather making it more widespread and less conspicuous, which instills fear among millions of immigrants and prompts many to avoid leaving their homes, going to work, or even visiting the relevant authorities, for fear that any routine transaction could turn into a gateway for arrest and deportation.
Testimonies from lawyers and activists in states such as Texas, Florida, and Utah confirm that the recent arrests included people who were complying with immigration procedures or who have lived in the United States for years and paid taxes, which reinforces criticisms that the current immigration policy has become more about increasing the number of detainees to achieve political goals than about focusing on pursuing those who pose an actual security threat.
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