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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have begun carrying out widespread enforcement actions at the direction of the Trump administration.
Some shit you should know before you read: A central part of President Trump’s campaign was his vow to carry out the largest deportation effort in US history, targeting the estimated 11-12 million undocumented immigrants in the country, with some claims suggesting the actual number could be as high as 20-25 million due to “gotaways” who have evaded border patrol for decades. Trump’s plan is reportedly prioritizing the removal of illegal immigrants with criminal records, with a focus on those who committed violent crimes.

What’s going on now: According to Senator Katie Britt of Alabama, ICE arrested 308 illegal migrants on President Trump’s first full day in office, targeting individuals with criminal records, including murderers, rapists, and kidnappers. These arrests mark the start of Trump’s plan to escalate immigration enforcement across the country, with large-scale raids reportedly being planned in cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Denver, and San Antonio.
This intensified enforcement follows the Trump administration’s recent revocation of a 2011 directive that prohibited ICE from conducting raids in sensitive areas like schools, churches, hospitals, and funerals. By eliminating these restrictions, ICE agents are now allowed to target individuals in previously off-limits locations.
Administration officials argue that this policy change prevents criminals from exploiting sensitive areas as safe havens, while immigrant advocates warn it could discourage illegal immigrants from accessing essential services like education, healthcare, or legal proceedings.