United States immigration authorities are set to conduct mass arrests of undocumented immigrants nationwide on Tuesday, a senior official in Donald Trump’s incoming administration has announced.
The operation is one of the first actions by President-elect Donald Trump, who returns to the White House on Monday, to fulfil his campaign promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants from the United States.
Tom Homan, Trump’s incoming “border czar,” made the announcement during an interview with Fox News on Friday. The operation has been described as a large-scale “immigration raid” targeting multiple locations across the country, including Chicago.
“There’s going to be a big raid across the country. Chicago is just one of many places,” Homan stated.
A former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homan oversaw the controversial family separation policy during Trump’s first term. He emphasized that the raids will mark a shift in ICE’s enforcement strategy.
“On Tuesday, ICE is finally going to go out and do their job. We’re going to take the handcuffs off ICE and let them go arrest criminal aliens,” Homan said.
He added, “What we’re telling ICE, you’re going to enforce the immigration law without apology. You’re going to concentrate on the worst first, public safety threats first, but no one is off the table. If they’re in the country illegally, they got a problem.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that the raid in Chicago, one of the targeted cities, is expected to begin a day after Trump’s inauguration. The operation, which could involve between 100 and 200 ICE officers, is projected to last throughout the week.
Four unnamed sources familiar with the planning confirmed the details, stating the raids would target undocumented immigrants, particularly those considered public safety threats.
In response to the planned raids, Don Terry, a spokesperson for the Chicago Police Department, told The New York Times that the department would not interfere with federal operations.
“The department does not document immigration status and will not share information with federal immigration authorities,” Terry said.
Chicago is among several Democrat-led cities that have declared themselves “sanctuaries” for undocumented migrants. Sanctuary cities refuse to cooperate fully with federal immigration authorities, offering some protections to individuals without legal status.
The planned raids signify a return to Trump’s hardline immigration policies, which were a hallmark of his first term. His administration has repeatedly emphasized strict enforcement of immigration laws, a position that has drawn both support and criticism.