Federal authorities executed an extensive immigration enforcement operation on Sunday that resulted in 956 individuals being taken into custody, according to official statements from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
This marks the highest single-day detention count since Trump’s return to presidential office.
Multiple federal enforcement agencies, empowered with broad arrest authority, conducted these coordinated actions across several major urban centers, including Chicago, Newark, and Miami, as reported by BBC News.
Since his White House reinstatement, Trump has prioritized immigration enforcement, implementing 21 executive directives to transform immigration policies, states BBC. This marks a significant shift from Joe Biden’s administration, which averaged 311 deportations daily, as Trump intensifies both arrests and removals.
Tom Homan, Trump’s border operations chief, directed the Chicago enforcement action. His methods have generated significant opposition, particularly among Democratic leadership. Chicago’s Mayor Brandon Johnson acknowledged ICE’s activities while clarifying that local police forces remained uninvolved. He encouraged residents to understand their legal rights during these operations, BBC indicates.
In Miami, joint federal agency teams executed immigration compliance checks. The local ICE division conducted numerous arrests for various violations, according to BBC.
Information collected by CBS News, a BBC partner organization in America, indicates certain arrests sparked community backlash. One source, speaking anonymously, revealed that authorities detained his wife during Miami operations while she pursued citizenship. “These enforcement tactics are deplorable; it’s deeply demeaning,” he expressed to CBS News, as cited by BBC.
Newark’s Mayor Ras Baraka condemned ICE’s methods following unauthorized arrests of local residents, including a former military servicemember. “Newark refuses to remain silent while illegal intimidation targets our community,” he stated.
Immigration advocates express concern about potential targeting of American citizens during these operations. However, Tom Homan told ABC News that all undocumented individuals arrested would face deportation, stressing that security threats remained their primary focus.
Sunday’s unprecedented 956 arrests follow substantial numbers from preceding days: 286 detentions Saturday, 593 Friday, and 538 Thursday, BBC reports.
During Biden’s tenure, authorities deported 1.5 million individuals over four years, according to Migration Policy Institute data. These numbers align with Trump’s first presidential term statistics, BBC notes.
Despite increasing opposition, Trump’s administration intends to continue its aggressive immigration enforcement stance, projecting higher arrest and deportation rates in upcoming months.