CHICAGO — On Sunday, immigration enforcement actions took place in several cities. President Donald Trump referred to this as the start of mass deportations, mainly focusing on migrants with criminal records. However, there are worries that migrants without any criminal history could also be affected.
Tom Homan, who oversees border issues for Trump, told NBC News on Sunday that several people with major crimes, like murder and sex offenses, have been caught. He mentioned that collateral arrests, which are when people without criminal records are detained simply because they were present during the raids, would happen.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced on Sunday that their increased efforts are meant to “enforce U.S. immigration laws and protect public safety and national security by keeping potentially dangerous criminals out of our communities.”
The agency later reported that ICE made 956 arrests on Sunday, which is the highest number of arrests in a single day by the Trump government. Since Trump took office on Monday, ICE has arrested at least 2,681 people. It was not clear how many of the arrested people had past criminal records or arrests.
Homan stated that those arrested on Sunday in Chicago included six people who had been convicted of major sex crimes, several gang members, and two individuals who had been previously convicted of murder and aggravated sexual assault.
He talked about the chance of carrying out operations in places like churches and schools after Trump changed the earlier rules that labeled these areas as “sensitive locations.” Homan said that decisions to enter those areas would be made individually for each situation.
Homan, who was in Chicago for the police activities, said, “We need to prioritize America’s safety.”
The Washington Post reported on Sunday, based on information from four knowledgeable sources, that Trump officials have instructed ICE to arrest 1,200 to 1,500 people each day, an increase from the previous few hundred.
When asked about the story, Homan told NBC News that the aim is to “catch as many criminals as we can.”
“I don’t have a set target,” he said. “I told them to arrest as many people as possible.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson posted on X that the cops were not involved in the enforcement action.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has mixed opinions about the enforcement measures. On Sunday, Pritzker told CNN that he agrees with deporting those who have committed serious crimes, but he does not support targeting people who follow the law.
“Why are we pursuing them?” he asked. “These are not people causing issues in our country, and we need a way for them to become citizens.”
“We need to protect our border.” We need to get rid of the violent criminals, but we also need to protect people, at least the residents of Illinois and all across the country who are just doing what we hope that immigrants will do,” he added.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) offices in other cities announced on social media Sunday that they helped with operations that arrested or held people living in the country illegally.
The DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division reported that they worked with federal and local partners to operate a temporary nightclub in Adams County, Colorado, early Sunday. During this operation, nearly 50 unauthorized individuals were arrested.
The DEA said many of them were linked to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
A spokeswoman for the agency said later Sunday that at least 100 law enforcement officers took part in the early morning raid and that the operation had a federal search warrant.
The DEA reported that 49 people were present when they executed the order, and 41 of them were living in the country illegally. The officer shared no further details about the 41 individuals, except that they included both men and women and were sent to a nearby ICE processing center.
The cop reported that they found several handguns, cash, and drugs at the scene. He mentioned that gang members were attempting to fill the Denver area with fake fentanyl pills.
The officer said that the probe into the nightclub has been going on since August during the Biden administration.
The DEA’s Los Angeles division announced on social media that it is helping other government agencies with focused operations across the city. The office in San Diego said it is helping with immigration police.
The DEA’s Phoenix and Atlanta divisions both said on social media that they were helping with immigration operations.
Homeland Security Investigations in Miami announced on X that they partnered with other agencies to enforce immigration rules.
In a series of social media posts On Sunday, the White House announced that ICE officials had arrested several people over the past few days. These individuals have either been convicted of crimes or are suspected of being involved in or wanted for crimes.
ICE units made arrests in Washington, California, Louisiana, New York, and other states, according to the posts.
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