How ICE entered its most aggressive era — and what comes next

Key Takeaways

Federal immigration enforcement expanded significantly under President Trump, notably in Minneapolis where officers killed two citizens.
ICE's post-9/11 counterterrorism mission has primarily shifted to arresting and deporting immigrants lacking legal status.
ICE expanded its agent force by approximately 12,000, with reduced vetting and a directive to deport as many people as possible.
Deportations from within the U.S. interior substantially increased, and immigration detention numbers have more than doubled.
Accountability for serious harm caused by immigration agents has diminished due to eliminated oversight mechanisms.
ICE utilizes over 1,000 "287G agreements" to deputize local police for immigration enforcement, often for minor infractions.
A leaked ICE memo suggests officers may no longer require a judicial warrant to enter homes, a policy likely to face court challenges.
Growing public criticism, even among Trump supporters, suggests a potential, albeit uncertain, shift in the administration's immigration policy.

Federal immigration enforcement expanded under President Trump, increasing budgets and agent deployments nationwide.
In Minneapolis, federal officers killed two American citizens, Renee Goode and Alex Predi, in separate incidents.
President Trump later called Predi's death "terrible," leading to leadership changes and agents involved being placed on administrative leave.
Caitlin Dickerson suggests Trump's shift in rhetoric was driven by optics and public reaction to video evidence of harsh enforcement actions.

ICE hired approximately 12,000 new officers under the Trump administration, offering significant pay bumps and bonuses.
Vetting and training for these new officers have been significantly reduced, raising questions about qualifications and backgrounds.
The directive for ICE agents is to "deport as many people as possible, no matter the cost"; approximately 70% in custody have no criminal record.
ICE agents have been observed stopping individuals based on factors like accent and skin color, conducting mass arrests in locations such as Home Depot.

The Trump administration reported over 600,000 deportations, with more than 300,000 occurring from within the country's interior.
The number of individuals in immigration detention has doubled since the end of the Biden administration, reaching over 70,000.
This increase is partly attributed to a $45 billion expansion of detention facilities.
The administration explores expedited removal without judicial review due to courts slowing deportations, described as a "spaghetti to the wall" strategy.

ICE relies on local law enforcement cooperation, described as a "force multiplier," through expanded "287G agreements," now over a thousand.
These agreements allow local police to deputize officers for immigration enforcement or provide access to records and jails, often ensnaring individuals with minor infractions.
Accountability for serious harm caused by immigration enforcement agents has diminished due to the elimination of various investigative layers.
Recent appropriations acts provided significant funding to ICE without implementing added accountability measures.

A leaked ICE memo suggests officers may no longer need a judicial warrant to enter a home, a significant shift from previous advice.
The memo's legal standing is uncertain due to its limited distribution and lack of official copies, suggesting potential administrative hesitations.
The legal process for challenging this new interpretation of ICE's authority is expected to involve court challenges, potentially reaching the Supreme Court.
Congress could implement changes by adding stipulations to new appropriations bills or by updating immigration law to redefine ICE's enforcement priorities.

The administration's focus on high-profile cases overshadows widespread, less-publicized deportations of individuals with long-term community ties.
Focusing enforcement on specific cities like Minneapolis creates a myopic view, as similar actions likely occur nationwide without public attention.
Even some of President Trump's supporters are criticizing ICE's work, drawing parallels to past family separations.
A policy shift from the Trump administration is anticipated due to the President's attachment to his immigration agenda, though its magnitude and duration are uncertain.