A Hard Line on Immigration

President Donald Trump has not wasted any time in setting up for his promised deportations. While his Day One mass deportations didn’t happen, his administration has already put in place policies and plans to start large scale immigration enforcement. His first few days in office has sent shockwaves through immigrant communities, spawned legal challenges and gotten both praise and criticism from different sides.

During the first Trump administration, several government agencies were mobilized to arrest and detain undocumented immigrants to build an enforcement apparatus. This article will go into how the different government agencies are working together and the strategies being used to build the machine, including the role of military personnel, local law enforcement and private contractors.

Trump’s Immigration Enforcement Plan

Federal Agencies

The Trump administration has already expanded immigration enforcement by involving the federal government and using multiple federal agencies. This includes:

  • Troops at the Border: Military has been sent to the US-Mexico border to stop illegal immigration.
  • Military Flights for Deportations: Military planes are being used to fly out individuals who crossed the border illegally.
  • DOJ Support: Federal agencies like the Department of Justice (DOJ) are providing additional personnel for enforcement.

Resources:

  1. With multiple federal agencies involved, resources are being stretched thin and competing for personnel and equipment. These agencies must work together without conflict and make the most of what they have.

Detention and Holding Facilities

  • One of the biggest challenges in immigration enforcement is detention space. To address this, the administration is:
  • Military Bases as Detention Centers: Military bases, including Guantanamo Bay, are being considered as holding facilities and will be expanded.
  • Private Contractors for Capacity: Talks with private companies to add more detention space to ease the burden on public facilities.

Strategic Advantages:

  1. By using military resources the administration can bypass the long process of getting more funding from Congress and surge enforcement quickly.

State and Local Law Enforcement

Ask for Help from Local Agencies

The Trump administration is asking state and local law enforcement agencies to help federal agencies enforce immigration laws. This will address the growing number of undocumented immigrants and strengthen enforcement.

Problems and Issues:

  1. Some Homeland Security officials are worried about the shift from traditional law enforcement to immigration enforcement. This will leave other important tasks undone.

Using Local Law Enforcement with New Authorities

  • To use local law enforcement in immigration tasks the administration issued a memo to Homeland Security. This memo allows state and local agencies to help with immigration enforcement so they can respond faster to the growing number of immigrants.

Memo:

  1. It uses the “mass migration” as the reason to invoke broader authorities.
  2. The memo outlines the circumstances where local agencies can be used, but implementation and training is unclear.

Military in Immigration Enforcement

National Emergency and Military Support

In his first year of office President Trump declared a national emergency at the border, which triggered the use of military assets, including National Guard troops, in immigration operations. These included:

Military Flights for Deportations: The Pentagon has flown migrants back to their home countries, including to Ecuador.

Military Base Staging Areas: Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado is being used as a staging and processing area for immigrants.

Guantanamo Bay as a Detention Facility

  • Another part of the Trump administration’s plan is to use Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as a temporary holding facility for migrants. The facility will be expanded to hold up to 30,000 people but that will be a challenge given the space constraints.
  • The Worst of the Worst: The facility will be for high-risk migrants with ICE management. The expansion is underway and will depend on how fast construction can be done and resources allocated.

Funding and Resource Allocation

Congressional Funding

  • While some initial steps have been taken to add resources the administration acknowledges that Congressional funding will be necessary to sustain and expand immigration enforcement. We need more resources especially for:
  • Detention Beds: More space to hold more detainees.
  • Operational Support: More funding for logistics, transportation and personnel for these operations.

Manpower and Resource Surge

  • By making immigration enforcement a national security issue the administration has been able to tap into the vast resources of the Department of Defense (DOD) and the DOJ. This has given us a quick injection of resources but long term funding will be needed to sustain operations at this level.

Actions Taken

Trump has issued multiple executive orders, increased military at the border and aggressive ICE operations. Here are the key actions in his first week:

1. Reversing Biden’s Immigration Policies

  • Trump reversed several executive orders signed by President Joe Biden, eliminating legal pathways for immigrants.
  • Notable reversals include policies that allowed asylum processing and legal entry through the CBP One app.
  • The administration brought back the “Remain in Mexico” policy where asylum seekers have to wait in Mexico while their claims are processed.

2. Border Emergency

Trump declared a national emergency at the US southern border, to reroute federal resources to immigration enforcement.

This allows for increased military deployment and broader law enforcement authorities to address national security threats.

3. Try to Change Birthright Citizenship

  • One of the most controversial was an executive order to deny U.S. citizenship to children of certain immigrant parents.
  • A federal judge has temporarily blocked this order but litigation will continue.

Military Deployment and Border Security Measures

4. Troops at the Border

  • 1,500 active-duty Army and Marine personnel were sent to El Paso, Texas and San Diego, California.
  • Their role is logistical and support only, to assist Border Patrol in processing and surveillance.

5. Military Transport for Deportations

  • The administration used C-17 military cargo planes to deport migrants, a big step up in enforcement.
  • Two military planes and one non-military plane sent Guatemalan nationals back to Guatemala City.

Nationwide ICE Raids and Increased Arrest Authority

6. ICE Raids and Arrests

  • ICE went into high gear, arresting 593 in 19 cities across the US, almost double the daily average from late 2024.
  • Arrests in California, Illinois, Utah, Minnesota, New York, Florida and Maryland.
  • 373 had prior convictions for crimes like sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault.
  • 165 had no criminal convictions and were arrested for immigration violations only.

7. Federal Agency Authority

DHS gave additional law enforcement authority to federal agencies beyond ICE, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the separation between military and civilian law enforcement, to:

  • U.S. Marshals Service
  • Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
  • Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
  • Federal Bureau of Prisons

To mobilize a bigger force to find, detain and remove undocumented individuals.

8. Repeal of “Safe Zones” for Undocumented Immigrants

  • The administration reversed policies that previously prohibited ICE from arresting in certain locations:
  • Schools
  • Churches
  • Hospitals
  • Weddings and funerals
  • Community leaders, teachers and faith-based organizations are outraged by the change.

Impact on Migrant Communities and Local Law Enforcement

9. Fear and Confusion in Immigrant Communities

Unauthorized immigrants in migrant communities are reporting widespread fear and panic of sudden deportations.

Some cities and states are reaffirming their status as “sanctuary” jurisdictions and refusing to cooperate with federal enforcement.

But other localities are fully on board with the administration’s plans.

10. Sheriffs React to the Crackdown

  • Some southern border sheriffs say nothing has changed operationally yet, but human smuggling is still happening.
  • Others say immigrants will be less likely to report crimes for fear of being deported.
  • Fear is growing that law enforcement will have trouble getting the trust of immigrant communities and public safety will suffer.

Border Crossings: Numbers Down

11. Fewer Border Encounters

  • Border Patrol numbers show a decline, 843 on Jan. 22, down from 1,552 a day in December.
  • Some say Biden had already reduced crossings so Trump inherited a “quiet” border.
  • But Trump’s policies are moving towards enforcement, with a deterrence approach.

12. Impact on Smuggling Operations

  • The administration’s actions will disrupt cartel and human smuggling networks.
  • Smugglers will adapt by using more dangerous and unpredictable routes.

How Many Have Been Arrested or Deported in His First Week?

The Trump administration didn’t waste any time in launching large scale deportation efforts against undocumented immigrants. Over his first full week in office, big raids and deportation flights hit major U.S. cities, fulfilling one of Trump’s biggest campaign promises. But logistics and funding are a problem and it’s unclear how they will deport 11 million undocumented immigrants.


First Week Deportations

Deportation Flights and Arrests

Publicly available flight data analyzed by independent experts shows that since Trump took office, three deportation flights have used military aircraft, and fewer ICE flights.

  • Military Planes:
  • Switch from ICE-chartered flights to military planes.
  • Some countries, like Mexico, refused to take deportees on military flights.
  • Current Deportation Rate:
  • If this rate continues it would take 28 years to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants from the U.S.
  • ICE did 90 deportation flights in January alone, 4.8 per day in the past week.

Quotes from Advocacy Groups

Tom Cartwright of Witness at the Border says the administration is planning to ramp up deportations. “You can’t deport more people without more resources and infrastructure.”


Why This Matters

Public and Political Reaction

Trump’s promise of mass deportations was a big part of his campaign. Recent polls show bipartisan support for immigration reform and border security. But deporting large numbers is a problem:

  • Cost: Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan says it would take at least $86 billion in funding from Congress to do this.
  • Bureaucratic red tape: Deportations are often delayed by legal proceedings, diplomatic negotiations and lack of resources.
  • Public concerns: While some Americans support the administration’s tough stance, others worry about the economic and humanitarian impact of removing large numbers of migrants.

How many are in the U.S. illegally?

  • Pew Research Center and U.S. government estimate 11 million individuals who lack legal status in the U.S.
  • But not all are on ICE’s deportation list.
  • As of December 2024:
  • 1.45 million were pending removal orders.
  • Several thousand more were in detention centers across the country.

Removals from Previous Years

  • Under the Biden administration in 2024, 271,484 were deported—the most since 2019.
  • Many of those were done through diplomatic agreements with other countries.

Military vs. Commercial Flights for Deportations

Problems with Military Flights

  • Deportees are being put on cargo planes, a new practice under Trump.
  • Military planes carry fewer passengers than commercial flights:
  • Military C-17 cargo planes: 80-84 deportees per flight.
  • Commercial aircraft: 120 deportees per flight.
  • Critics call this practice “inhumane” and say it’s like a “perp walk” for migrants.

Mexico’s Response

  • Mexico, which usually gets five deportation flights every Tuesday, initially refused military flights after Inauguration Day.
  • Not sure if regular flights are back.

Colombia’s Response

  • Colombia sent its own plane to pick up 200 deportees after a standoff.
  • They were denied asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border and had no criminal record in either country.

How many were arrested last week?

Since Trump took office, Trump officials in ICE and the White House have been posting daily updates on arrests and detainer requests.

Arrests are way up from the Biden administration:

  • Monday, January 27, 2025:
  • 969 arrested
  • 869 detained
  • Two days had over 1,000 arrests.
  • For comparison, Fiscal Year 2024:
  • 310 arrests per day.
  • 409 detainers per day.

Trump’s immigration goals: Enforcement vs. Reality

Experts say Trump’s deportation promises face big problems:

  • Resource constraints: Agencies must increase enforcement while maintaining due process.
  • Legal hurdles: Many deportation cases take months or years.
  • Public skepticism: Critics say the administration’s push for high numbers could lead to rushed enforcement and rights violations.

Austin Kocher, an immigration expert from Syracuse University, said political pressure often leads to promises that can’t be kept.


The Administration’s stance

White House

  • Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt:
  • “Every person deported is a criminal because they broke U.S. immigration laws.”
  • “Don’t try to come into the U.S. illegally, you will be detained and deported.”

Critics

  • Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA):
  • “These mass deportations won’t make us safer. They’ll just make everything more expensive for everyone.”
  • Many undocumented workers are in industries like agriculture, construction and food service.

What’s to come?

More ICE Raids and Deportations

  • ICE will step up enforcement with more big raids in major cities.
  • Social media and press will highlight these raids to show Trump is keeping his promises.
  • The administration will face legal and practical challenges as they ramp up deportations.

Funding and Policy

  • The White House will ask Congress for billions more for immigration enforcement.
  • The policy and ethics will be a big topic of debate.

Defending Sanctuary Policies: Resisting Deportation

Why Sanctuary Policies Matter

Sanctuary policies protect immigrant communities by limiting cooperation between local law enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They prevent families from being broken up and local resources from being used for federal immigration enforcement.

Each sanctuary jurisdiction is different. Some don’t share data with ICE, others don’t allow local police to ask about immigration status. States like Oregon, Illinois and Maryland have passed sanctuary policies to protect immigrant residents from deportation.

Trump’s Sanctuary Cities Assault

On his first day in office, Trump issued a series of anti-immigrant executive orders to create fear and chaos. One of those orders told the U.S. Attorney General to take civil and criminal action against sanctuary jurisdictions. A few days later the Department of Justice (DOJ) told U.S. attorneys to investigate and prosecute local elected officials who don’t cooperate with deportation.

This isn’t the first time Trump has gone after sanctuary cities. He tried to cut funding and prosecute officials in those jurisdictions during his last administration. But he failed bigly due to legal challenges and community resistance, unlike the Obama administration, which had a different approach to immigration enforcement and deportation.

Sanctuary Policies Work

Sanctuary policies prevent ICE from arresting, detaining and deporting immigrants. Consider this: there are only about 6,000 deportation officers, but 800,000 local law enforcement officers across the U.S. Without cooperation from local police and sheriffs, ICE’s ability to target and remove immigrants is greatly diminished.

Since the executive orders, there has been a big response:

  • 13 state AGs have reaffirmed their sanctuary policies.
  • 4 Chicago community organizations sued the administration to stop the ICE raids.
  • Communities everywhere are expanding protections to limit ICE’s reach.

The Fear Tactic: DOJ Threats to Local Officials

The Trump administration’s threats to investigate and prosecute officials in sanctuary cities is part of a bigger plan to pressure communities into compliance. By scaring local leaders, the administration hopes to break solidarity and get local cooperation with deportations.

But these threats must be resisted. Local officials must not assist ICE and stand strong against this. The way to stop deportations is to make sure local law enforcement doesn’t collaborate with federal immigration enforcement.

More Sanctuary

Instead of backing down, communities should strengthen and expand sanctuary policies. Here’s how:

  • No cooperation with ICE at all: Prohibit local law enforcement from sharing info or working with ICE in any way.
  • All immigrants protected: No exclusions based on past contact with the criminal justice system.
  • No data sharing: No info, including info from third party organizations, can be accessed by ICE.
  • Public spaces protected: Extend protections in hospitals, schools and courthouses to prevent ICE from enforcing in those areas.
  • End ICE contracts: No ICE using local detention centers to hold immigrants for deportation.

Examples of strong sanctuary policies:

  • Evanston, Illinois strengthened its Welcoming City Ordinance by banning data sharing with ICE and third parties.
  • New Jersey is working to expand its existing sanctuary protections.
  • Maryland is introducing legislation to terminate 287(g) agreements that deputize local police as immigration enforcement agents.

Criminalizing Immigrants

A big part of Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda is the lie that immigrants are criminals. This lie has led to policies that increase detention and deportation. The fact is the U.S. has the largest prison system and the largest deportation system in the world and both target Black and Brown people.

One example of this criminalization is the Laken Riley Act passed by Congress with bipartisan support. This law expands mandatory detention, allows state AGs to sue to enforce deportations and restricts visas from countries like China and India. Many lawmakers justified their support by saying it’s for public safety but in reality it’s exploiting fear and reinforcing anti-immigrant policies.

To resist:

  • Challenge the lie that immigrants are criminals: Show the contributions of immigrant communities and expose the systemic racism in immigration enforcement.
  • Stop policies that expand detention and deportation: Advocate for alternatives that prioritize community safety and human dignity.
  • Support immigrants in prison and formerly incarcerated immigrants: Recognize the criminal justice and immigration systems are colluding to oppress marginalized communities.

Aylaliya “Liyah” Birru

Aylaliya “Liyah” Birru, a Black immigrant from Ethiopia, is why sanctuary policies matter. Birru, a domestic violence survivor, was prosecuted and imprisoned for defending herself against her abuser. When she got out she was transferred to immigration detention and was facing deportation.

The #FreeLiyah campaign generated massive support, got her out on bond in 2020 with nearly 640,000 signatures. But Birru is still facing deportation and is fighting for stronger sanctuary protections so no one else has to go through what she did.

We Must Act Now

Trump’s threats against sanctuary cities set a bad precedent. If local officials give in to intimidation it will only encourage the administration to go after organizers, advocates and legal defenders who defend immigrant rights.

We must:

  • Defend existing sanctuary policies and don’t give in to federal pressure.
  • Expand protections to all immigrants regardless of status or past interactions with the police.
  • Mobilize communities to educate, organize and resist deportation.
  • Challenge anti-immigrant bills and hold lawmakers accountable for their anti-immigrant votes.

A truly safe and inclusive society requires all of us to stand against deportations and the criminalization of immigrant communities. Now is the time for courage, resistance and solidarity. Together we can jam the deportation machine and fight for a world where everyone is treated with dignity and respect no matter where they were born.

What’s Next?

Trump’s first week has set the stage for a tough immigration enforcement regime. He’s taken immediate action to rebrand border security, increase deportations and send a message to migrants. While there are legal and logistical hurdles to overcome, he’s already made a big impact on immigration policy, public opinion and the daily lives of undocumented people in the US. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has been vocal in opposing these measures, filing lawsuits and issuing public statements against the administration’s policies.

We’ll see if it sticks or gets blocked in court and in communities. One thing is for sure: the immigration fight is far from over and this will have consequences for years to come.