US immigration authorities will begin large-scale arrests of undocumented immigrant across the country on Tuesday, according to a senior official in Donald Trump’s incoming administration.
This operation marks one of the first steps under President Trump’s renewed administration, which takes office on Monday. It reflects his long-standing commitment to deport millions of undocumented immigrants from the United States.
US immigration raids set to begin nationwide
Tom Homan, who has been appointed as Trump’s “border czar,” discussed the upcoming operation in an interview with Fox News on Friday. Reports from The Wall Street Journal and other outlets confirmed that the new administration plans an “immigration raid” in Chicago starting on Tuesday.
“There will be a significant raid across the country. Chicago is just one of the locations,” Homan, a former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said. Homan also oversaw a policy that separated migrant families at the border during Trump’s first term.
ICE is set to carry out its duties on Tuesday. Homan explained, “We will remove any restrictions on their actions and allow them to arrest individuals who are unlawfully present. Furthermore, we are directing ICE to enforce immigration laws firmly.” The operation will initially focus on individuals posing the greatest risk to public safety. However, no one is exempt—those who are in the country illegally will face consequences.
Local authorities’ response to the raids
According to The Wall Street Journal, the “large-scale immigration operation” in Chicago could last all week, beginning Tuesday, the day after Trump’s inauguration. The operation may involve between 100 and 200 ICE officers. These details come from sources familiar with the planning.
In response, Don Terry, a spokesperson for the Chicago Police Department, stated that the department would not interfere with any federal operations. Nevertheless, Terry emphasised that the police do not track immigration status and would not share such information with federal authorities.
Like several other Democrat-led cities in the US, Chicago has declared itself a “sanctuary city.” This means that city authorities will not arrest individuals solely because of their immigration status.
At the time of writing, Trump’s representatives had not responded to a request for comment from AFP.
