The Trump administration has ordered federal agents to arrest 3,000 immigrants a day, tripling earlier figures, as part of an intensified crackdown. The target was delivered to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leaders by White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary Kristi Noem in a strained meeting on 21 May.
The new quota, which equates to more than a million arrests per year, is the latest example of increasing pressure on officials to ramp up immigration enforcement. New tactics include mandating assistance from other federal law enforcement agencies, deputising state and local police, and arresting people at previously protected locations such as courthouses.
Advocates have expressed concern about the impact on communities. Nayna Gupta of the American Immigration Council said the administration was 'doubling down' on an aggressive agenda despite falling public support. Jesse Franzblau of the National Immigrant Justice Center warned that raids are 'hitting families, longtime residents, children and communities in a way never seen before.'
Current and former federal officials have voiced worries that non-immigration investigations are being neglected as agents from the FBI, DEA, and other agencies are diverted to arrest duties. On Tuesday, ICE and other agencies arrested around 40 people on the Massachusetts islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, with the US Coast Guard assisting in transport.
