ICE arrests 956 in 1 day as Trump admin immigration crackdown ramps up
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents knock on the door of a residence during a multi-agency operation in Chicago, Illinois, on Sunday. Photo: Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Trump's "border czar" Tom Homan and other top officials oversaw immigration enforcement efforts in Chicago on Sunday, as ICE officials announced Sunday 956 arrests in one day.
The latest: ICE has made over 3,500 arrests during Trump's first week back in office.
Why it matters: The massive arrests announced by Immigration and Customs Enforcement under Trump since he took office last Monday and declared a national emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border is a clear sign that his administration is stepping up efforts to crack down on undocumented immigrants.
- By comparison, an ICE report shows the average number of daily arrests of noncitizens with criminal convictions or pending charges in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 was 310.7.
State of play: "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with federal partners, including the FBI, ATF, DEA, CBP and the U.S. Marshals Service, began conducting enhanced targeted operations today in Chicago," per a post to ICE's website Sunday.
- The goal is "to enforce U.S. immigration law and preserve public safety and national security by keeping potentially dangerous criminal aliens out of our communities."
- The DEA Chicago was assisting the Department of Human Services "and other federal law enforcement partners with their immigration enforcement efforts," per a post to X that featured images of Homan and acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove.
What they're saying: Homan told ABC's "This Week" earlier Sunday that arrest and deportation numbers would "steadily increase," adding: "Right now, it's concentrating on public safety threats, national security threats. That's a smaller population."
- Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) said on X the city's police were "not involved" in federal enforcement efforts and emphasized that Chicagoans should "know their constitutional rights."
Zoom out: Hours after being sworn in as president for a second time, Trump signed executive orders to rework U.S. immigration policy.
- These include sending sending troops to the southern border and permitting immigration raids on churches and schools to arrest undocumented immigrants.
- Trump's executive order on ending birthright citizenship for those born to undocumented immigrants is being challenged in lawsuits by civil rights groups and Democratic state attorneys general, who contend that it conflicts with the 14th Amendment.
Go deeper: Trump pausing Colombia tariffs after migrants deal, White House says
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
