Trump Officials Launch Immigration Crackdown in Chicago; ICE Reports 956 Arrests in One Day

Jan 26, 2025, 11:36 PM

The Trump administration has launched a nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration, beginning with enhanced targeted operations in Chicago and other major cities. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove and Border Czar Tom Homan visited Chicago on Sunday to oversee the immigration enforcement efforts conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in collaboration with the FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and other federal agencies. ICE reported 956 arrests on Sunday and 286 arrests on Saturday, along with 554 detainers lodged, marking a substantial increase from its average of 311 daily arrests in the previous fiscal year. The administration aims to ramp up arrests from a few hundred per day to at least 1,200 to 1,500, with ICE managers facing accountability measures if they fail to meet these targets. The Washington Post reported that Trump officials have issued quotas to ICE officers to increase the number of arrests, reflecting President Donald Trump's dissatisfaction with the results of his mass deportation campaign so far. Operations have also been conducted in cities including Denver, Los Angeles, Austin, and San Jose, as part of President Trump's campaign pledge to pursue large-scale deportations after taking office.