The Trump administration has set ambitious new goals for its anti-immigration efforts, instructing federal agents to arrest at least 3,000 people daily—amounting to over a million annually. This target, which is three times higher than the arrest rate earlier this year, was communicated during a May 21 meeting in Washington, D.C., involving leaders of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
This escalation reflects mounting pressure on law enforcement agencies nationwide to increase immigration arrests as part of the administration’s intensified crackdown. Tactics now include deploying federal agents from other agencies to assist ICE, involving state and local law enforcement, and conducting arrests in previously protected locations like courthouses.
Critics, including Nayna Gupta of the American Immigration Council, argue that these aggressive policies are undermining due process, overburdening detention centers, and impacting communities—leading to arrests of neighbors and lawful residents, often in ways that disrupt local economies. Jesse Franzblau from the National Center for Immigrant Justice warned that ICE’s raids are affecting families, children, and longtime residents more than ever before.
While border crossings have decreased under President Biden’s policies, internal enforcement operations have increased. Officials emphasize the focus on removing criminal illegal immigrants to enhance national safety, but critics note that these efforts fall far short of Trump’s earlier campaign promise to deport 15-20 million people, a figure exceeding the estimated 11 million undocumented residents.
Federal agencies like the FBI, HSI, DEA, and ATF have shifted resources toward immigration enforcement, raising concerns that other critical investigations are being sidelined. Additionally, local police under the 287(g) program are increasingly assisting ICE with arrests.
There is also growing concern over arrests occurring in courthouses, where non-citizens legally attending hearings are being detained—actions seen as unprecedented. Reports indicate arrests in New York City courts, with ICE custody numbers rising to nearly 49,000 as of May 18, partly due to holding immigrants in both local jails and federal facilities amid overcrowding.
