Trump Administration, Led by Benjamine Huffman, Rescinds Limits on ICE Arrests in Schools, Churches, Hospitals

Jan 21, 2025, 08:56 PM

President Donald Trump's administration has rescinded a 2021 policy that limited Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents' ability to make arrests in so-called 'sensitive areas' such as schools, churches, and hospitals. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman issued the new directive, allowing ICE agents to use 'common sense' in determining where to conduct enforcement actions. This change marks a significant shift from previous policies under the Biden administration that aimed to avoid enforcement in these locations to ensure access to essential services. The move is part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration to tighten immigration enforcement, including the review and phase-out of humanitarian parole programs used by the Biden administration to admit 1.5 million migrants into the U.S. on a temporary basis.