The Donald Trump administration has ramped up its efforts to curb illegal immigration, with the US Justice Department confirming arrests in Chicago as part of a coordinated enforcement operation involving multiple agencies, according toa report by The New York Times.
US Vice President JD Vance expressed support for immigration raids in sensitive locations such as schools, stating that he hoped such measures would discourage undocumentd immigrants from entering the country. Vance said that no locations, including religious institutions and educational facilities should be exempted from enforcement actions.
ICE to make decisions on case-by-case basis: Trump’s Border Czar
Trump’s Border Czar, Tom Homan, announced that immigration officials would need at least 100,000 detention beds to support the administration’s aggressive deportation agenda. He urged the US Congress to provide the needed funds. When questioned about the possibility of immigration enforcement in churches or schools, Homan stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would make decisions on a “case-by-case basis.” He seemed to have hinted that high school-aged children could be associated with gangs, making them potential enforcement targets.
Homan revealed that deportation efforts would “steadily increase” as the administration expanded its scope to target all undocumented individuals, not just those with criminal records. Addressing funding concerns, he stressed that Congress must allocate the required resources, stating, “The president has a mandate, and this is the number one issue voters prioritized.”
Homan linked the administration’s focus on immigration enforcement to national security concerns, referencing the death of Georgia student Laken Riley, allegedly killed by a migrant, as a rallying point for the Republican immigration agenda.
App that helped asylum seekers shut down
In another significant move last week, officials shut down an app introduced by the Biden administration that allowed asylum seekers to schedule appointments at ports of entry. Homan dismissed the app as an “illegitimate method” for migrants, urging adherence to legal immigration channels. Homan said that they can go the embassy and do it the legal way, The New York Times reported. He criticised migrants who sought asylum after entering the country illegally, stating that it contradicted the principle of following US laws.