ICE kicks off Trump's mass deportation plan, targeting immigrants with criminal records

Donald Trump's administration kicked off an ambitious mass deportation operation led by Tom Homan, nicknamed the "border czar." This plan initially targets more than 700,000 undocumented immigrants with criminal records and marks the beginning of the implementation of the strict immigration policies Trump promised during his presidential campaign.

Immediate start after inauguration

According to reports, these raids will take place in multiple U.S. cities, with a particular focus on so-called sanctuary cities, which limit cooperation with federal immigration agents. Initial reports indicate that Chicago could be the starting point for these actions, although Homan clarified that the priorities will span the entire country.

"ICE will start arresting public safety threats and national security threats on day one," Homan told the Washington Post. He also noted that these actions will not be contingent on directives from previous administrations, marking a significant shift in immigration policy.

Priority objectives and strategic approach

Homan describes the operation as "targeted enforcement operations," initially targeting criminals and gang members. According to his statements to Fox News, the raids have been carefully planned to target specific individuals. However, experts anticipate the strategy will also affect immigrants who have resided and worked in the country for years without criminal records.

In addition to Chicago, other cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Denver and Miami are being targeted, according to the Wall Street Journal. The raids are expected to extend to construction sites, a sector that employs a high percentage of undocumented immigrants.

Authorization for arrests in sensitive locations

The Donald Trump administration decided to eliminate policies restricting deportation operations in sensitive places, such as schools and churches. This decision allows immigration enforcement agents to make arrests in these spaces, a significant change in the guidelines that, for more than ten years, limited the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in these locations.

“This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens — including murders and rapists — who have illegally come into our country. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement issued Tuesday.

The now-reversed policies date back to 2011 for ICE and 2013 for CBP and were implemented to protect the integrity of high-impact community locations. With this new directive, the Trump administration reinforces its stance of strictly enforcing immigration laws.