A sweeping immigration crackdown across parts of the United States has come under scrutiny after a surge in arrests and aggressive enforcement tactics triggered public backlash and internal shifts in strategy. At its peak, heavily armed teams of officers carried out operations in cities like Minneapolis, while thousands were detained weekly in states including Texas, Florida and California.
The operations, led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol units, involved raids at workplaces and public spaces, drawing criticism over their scale and intensity.
Crackdown peaks before backlash and leadership changes
At the height of the campaign, enforcement was described in stark terms by officials. “Turn and burn,” top Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino called the strategy, with relentless displays of force and teams of agents descending on restaurant kitchens, bus stops and Home Depot parking lots.
Data compiled by UC Berkeley Deportation Data Project and analysed by The Associated Press showed that arrests by ICE reached nearly 40,000 in December, remaining similarly high in January. However, following the killing of two American citizens in Minneapolis and rising criticism over enforcement methods, the administration reshuffled senior officials and adjusted its approach.
In the weeks after these developments, average weekly arrests dropped by around 12%. Public opinion also appeared to shift, with polls suggesting many believed the crackdown had gone too far, contributing to the removal of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in early March.
Arrest patterns shift, but concerns remain
Despite the decline, enforcement levels remain elevated compared to previous administrations, including that of Joe Biden. According to the analysis, ICE averaged 7,369 weekly arrests in the five weeks after early February, down from 8,347 in the preceding period.
However, the trend has not been uniform nationwide. While states like Minnesota and Texas saw declines, arrests increased in others such as Kentucky, Indiana and North Carolina, with some recording their highest weekly figures since Donald Trump began his second term.
Questions have also been raised about who is being targeted. Although officials have maintained that enforcement focuses on “the worst of the worst,” data indicates that a significant share of those detained had no criminal record. In the weeks before early February, about 46% of those arrested had no charges or convictions, a figure that fell slightly to 41% afterward but remained above earlier averages.
Legal filings and case accounts further highlight the complexity of the crackdown. Instances include individuals without criminal histories being detained during routine stops or administrative violations, prompting concerns among advocacy groups.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council noted that while arrest numbers suggest some easing, it is unclear whether the shift represents a lasting change. “The Trump administration says: ‘We’re not slowing down,’ ‘Nothing has changed,’” he said. “But it’s very clear that they have pulled back from some of the tactics of Operation Metro Surge.”