New ICE operations target public safety threats nationwide
Authorities have launched nationwide actions today against illegal immigrants posing a public threat, Tom Homan, the head of the White House Immigration and Customs Service, announced on Tuesday. The official added that although the priority is individuals convicted of crimes, other illegal immigrants will also be arrested.
Homan—who Trump himself referred to as the "border czar" in a conversation with CNN—discussed the planned actions against illegal immigrants, emphasizing that he prefers to use the term "targeted operations" instead of "raids." He explained that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have returned to performing their duties, which had been hindered for the past four years.
The official overseeing the deportations announced by Donald Trump stated that ICE is actively operating in the field, prioritizing public safety threats as part of its law enforcement efforts.
Homan noted that the operations primarily focus on individuals convicted of crimes, but other illegal immigrants in the vicinity may also be arrested. He pointed out that this is a result of city regulations limiting ICE's access to local jails.
He explained that the law does not require a conviction for a serious crime to warrant deportation, which will likely result in an increase in collateral arrests.
According to Fox News, on the first day of the new administration's actions, regulations prohibiting arrests in "sensitive locations," such as schools or churches, were revoked.
Homan did not disclose details of Monday's ICE operations, only informing that they are taking place across the entire country. Initially, the actions were planned to start in Chicago, but according to CNN, these plans were changed after information leaked to the media.
The official noted that despite a record number of deportations last year—over 220,000—the previous administration did not fully perform its duties, and most of these actions were carried out by the border patrol and involved individuals detained directly after crossing the border.
Homan also stressed that Donald Trump's executive orders, such as the suspension of accepting new refugees, will remain unchanged. According to CNN, these decisions will affect, among others, former collaborators of U.S. forces in Afghanistan and their families, as well as the families of American soldiers from that country.
On Monday, Trump also signed other orders related to immigration, including declaring a state of emergency at the Mexican border and recognizing illegal immigration as an "invasion" requiring the involvement of additional armed forces. There was also a complete halt to the right to apply for asylum and the automatic return of migrants crossing the border outside official border crossings.
