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Trump Greenlights ‘Largest Deportation Operation’As Unrest Spreads

By U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - https://www.ice.gov/about-ice/ero, Public Domain,

President Trump is doubling down…

Over the weekend, President Trump announced ICE must “expand efforts to detain and deport” illegal immigrants in “America’s largest [c]ities,” including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.”

The president’s comment came in a Truth Social post on Sunday evening after a week of anti-ICE protests that have taken place in major cities across the country, with most demonstrations remaining peaceful while others turned into violent riots in places like LA and Portland.

“Our Nationโ€™s ICE Officers have shown incredible strength, determination, and courage as they facilitate a very important mission, the largest Mass Deportation Operation of Illegal Aliens in History,” Trump wrote. “Every day, the Brave Men and Women of ICE are subjected to violence, harassment, and even threats from Radical Democrat Politicians, but nothing will stop us from executing our mission, and fulfilling our Mandate to the American People.”

“ICE Officers are herewith ordered, by notice of this TRUTH, to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History,” the president added.

The immigration protests began in LA on June 7, after local ICE raids resulted in hundreds of arrests.

The president immediately deployed the National Guard to the area when protests started two weeks ago, garnering criticism from Democrats insisting their presence would only escalate tensions.

As the protests and riots expanded nationally, continuing into this weekend, violence also took hold of certain crowds, injuring both federal and local law enforcement officials, as well as demonstrators. 

On Saturday, an innocent bystander was fatally shot during an organized protest in Salt Lake City, Utah, when two event peacekeepers in neon vests opened fire on a suspect, Arturo Gamboa, 24, who ran toward the crowd with a rifle, and ended up shooting the wrong person.

In spite of the protests, Trump doubled down on his efforts to deport illegal immigrants in his Sunday post.

“In order to achieve this, we must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in Americaโ€™s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside,” he said. “These, and other such Cities, are the core of the Democrat Power Center, where they use Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State, robbing good paying Jobs and Benefits from Hardworking American Citizens.”

He added that he wants ICE officers “to know that REAL Americans are cheering [them] on every day.”

“The American People want our Cities, Schools, and Communities to be SAFE and FREE from Illegal Alien Crime, Conflict, and Chaos,” he wrote. “Thatโ€™s why I have directed my entire Administration to put every resource possible behind this effort, and reverse the tide of Mass Destruction Migration that has turned once Idyllic Towns into scenes of Third World Dystopia. Our Federal Government will continue to be focused on the REMIGRATION of Aliens to the places from where they came, and preventing the admission of ANYONE who undermines the domestic tranquility of the United States.”

The Trump administration called for a halt on deportation raids on agricultural sites, hotels and restaurants, and not to arrest “noncriminal collaterals” the New York Times reported. The move came out of fears that the sweeping raids were hurting key industries in the U.S.

Republican Warns Stephen Miller Will Cost GOP Midterms

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Florida state Sen. Ileana Garcia (R), a longtime supporter of former President Trump and co-founder of Latinas for Trump, is publicly criticizing the tone and tactics surrounding the administrationโ€™s latest immigration crackdownโ€”warning that internal divisions and inflammatory rhetoric could cost Republicans in the midterms.

โ€œI do think that he will lose the midterms because of Stephen Miller,โ€ Garcia told The New York Times in an interview published Tuesday, referring to Trumpโ€™s White House deputy chief of staff and one of the architects of the administrationโ€™s hard-line immigration strategy.

Garcia, who has consistently supported strong border enforcement and backed Trumpโ€™s efforts to regain control of the southern border, stressed that her concern is not with securing the border itself, but with how the policy is being communicated and executed. She placed particular blame on Miller for what she described as unnecessarily aggressive rhetoric that risks alienating persuadable votersโ€”including Hispanic Republicans who favor border security but reject what they see as dehumanizing language.

The comments follow a volatile weekend in Minneapolis, where federal agents shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti during a protest tied to the administrationโ€™s immigration actions. The incident came just weeks after another fatal shooting involving federal authorities in the same city, when ICE officers shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good earlier this month.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti โ€œattackedโ€ federal law enforcement officers, while Miller went further, describing Pretti as โ€œa would-be assassinโ€ who โ€œtried to murder federal law enforcement.โ€

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later sought to distance President Trump from Millerโ€™s remarks, telling reporters Monday that she had not heard the president โ€œcharacterize Mr. Pretti in that wayโ€ and emphasizing that the incident remains under investigation.

Garcia pushed back sharply on Millerโ€™s framing in a post Monday on X.

โ€œDistorting, politicizing, slandering โ€“ justifying what happened to Alex Pretti contradicts the American values the administration campaigned on. He was neither a domestic terrorist nor an assassin,โ€ Garcia wrote.

โ€œAllowing individuals like Stephen Miller, among others, who represent the government and make hard-line decisions, to make such comments will have long-term consequences. โ€ฆ This is not what I voted for!โ€ she added.

Garciaโ€™s criticism carries weight within Republican circles. She helped rally Latina voters for Trump during his 2016 campaign and later served in the Department of Homeland Security during his first term. While she has consistently supported deportations of criminal illegal immigrants and stronger border controls, she has previously warned against what she called โ€œinhumaneโ€ tactics used to meet deportation quotas, arguing that they undermine public trust and conservative messaging on law and order.

Her remarks highlight a broader debate within the GOP as Republicans campaign on border security ahead of Novemberโ€™s high-stakes midterms. While voters continue to rank immigration and public safety among their top concerns, some party leaders are increasingly wary that overheated rhetoricโ€”especially following deadly confrontationsโ€”could distract from Republicansโ€™ core argument: restoring order at the border, enforcing the law, and keeping communities safe.

As fallout from the Minnesota shootings continues, political observers warn that how Republicans handle immigration enforcementโ€”and how they talk about itโ€”may prove just as important as the policies themselves in determining control of Congress this fall.

Report: Appeals Court Blocks Trump Admin’s Deportation Flights

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Image via Pixabay

A federal appellate court declined to issue a stay on a lower court’s orders in a suit challenging the Trump administration‘s authority to deport Venezuelan nationals via a 1798 wartime law. 

In a 2-1 decision Wednesday, a three-judge panel sided with the plaintiffs in the suit, further blocking the Trump administration’s ability to move forward with its deportation agenda. 

Judges Karen Henderson, Patricia Millett, and Justin Walker of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals presided over Monday’s oral arguments, which they agreed to hear last week on an expedited basis. 

In a concurring opinion of the ruling, Henderson, a Bush appointee, said: “At this early stage, the government has yet to show a likelihood of success on the merits. The equities favor the plaintiffs. And the district court entered the TROs for a quintessentially valid purpose: to protect its remedial authority long enough to consider the partiesโ€™ arguments.

“Accordingly, and for the foregoing reasons, the request to stay the district courtโ€™s TROs should be denied.”

Their decision could ultimately be kicked to the Supreme Court for further review.  

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

First Judge Approves Trump’s Use Of Alien Enemies Act For Venezuelan Deportations

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Image via Pixabay

On Tuesday afternoon, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Haines ruled that President Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged illegal immigrant gang members complies with the law.

Haines, a Trump appointee with a background as a prosecutor in Pennsylvania, ruled that Trumpโ€™s use of the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) of 1798 to deport Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang members is legally valid, citing TdAโ€™s actions as a โ€œpredatory incursionโ€ under the law.

As The Hill reports:

Haines, a Trump appointee, emphasized her โ€œunflagging obligation is to apply the law as written.โ€ 

โ€œHaving done its job, the Court now leaves it to the Political Branches of the government, and ultimately to the people who elect those individuals, to decide whether the laws and those executing them continue to reflect their will,โ€ Haines wrote in her 43-page ruling. 

The new split comes as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which has filed a wave of lawsuits across the country challenging Trumpโ€™s use of the AEA, calls on the Supreme Court to immediately take up the issue and swiftly provide a nationwide resolution.

“The Alien Enemies Act โ€” historically invoked during wartime, including World War II โ€” empowers the president to detain or deport nationals of enemy nations. Trumpโ€™s application of the law targets TdA, a Venezuelan transnational gang designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization during his second administration, despite ongoing legal debate over whether gang activity constitutes an “invasion” or “incursion.”

Tuesday’s ruling contrasts with other federal judgesโ€™ decisions, such as Judge Fernando Rodriguezโ€™s May 1, 2025, injunction against the AEAโ€™s use, highlighting a judicial split that may lead to a Supreme Court challenge.

Report: Trump Border Czar Homan, DHS Chief Noem Barely Speaking Or Meeting

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The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A simmering feud between Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and President Trumpโ€™s border czar Tom Homan has grown so strained that the two leaders reportedly barely speak or meet with each other, according to a new Axios report. Despite the tension, neither official is in danger of losing their job, and President Trump continues to stand by both as key figures in his aggressive border-security agenda.

The clashโ€”with roots that appear more personal than ideologicalโ€”has raised eyebrows inside the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). A White House adviser told Axios that Trump views the competition between Noem and Homan as a healthy dynamic that can improve overall performance. โ€œKristiโ€™s doing a great job,โ€ Trump reportedly said. โ€œHer and Tom donโ€™t get along, but theyโ€™re doing great.โ€

Personality Clash, Not Policy Collapse

Sources say the feud stems largely from a personality clash and differing leadership styles. While both leaders support tough enforcement of immigration laws, Noemโ€™s backers have criticized Homan for oversaturating conservative media with frequent appearances, especially on Fox News, which they say sometimes carries him past official channels or consultation with DHS communications staff. Homan has appeared on conservative outlets far more than Noem this year, which insiders say has aggravated the divide.

Career Officials Bristle, But Trump Wants Results

Career immigration officials have reportedly bristled at Noemโ€™s leadership style, including her public-facing promotion of policies like the CBP Home self-deportation app and the outsized influence of her senior adviser, Corey Lewandowski, who can only officially serve limited days under federal rules.

At the same time, Noemโ€™s allies say Homanโ€™s media presence sometimes strays into self-promotion, making news on policy pronouncements without coordination. But neither side is backing down, and several White House sources say Trump is satisfied with the job both are doing.

What This Means for Border Security

Despite internal friction, the Trump administrationโ€™s border enforcement efforts remain robust. Deportations have reached record levels under this team, and DHS continues to pursue hard-line priorities. That focus on illegal immigration enforcement aligns with what Trump was elected to deliver and remains popular among the presidentโ€™s base.

In public remarksโ€”such as Noemโ€™s recent testimony before the House Homeland Security Committeeโ€”Noem has defended the administrationโ€™s approach as strengthening national security and deterring illegal entries, insisting DHS is enforcing the law without selective leniency.

New Poll Reveals Shocking Opposition To Trump’s Tariff Plan

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The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Slightly more than half of voters in the U.S. opposeย President-elect Trumpโ€™sย plan to tariff proposal.

Theย poll, released Wednesday, comes as Trump hasย threatened to imposeย 25 percent tariffs on all goods from Canada and Mexico and increase tariffs on China.

While 51 percent of respondents opposed Trumpโ€™s tariff plan, 38 percent supported it, the survey showed.

The majority of Democrats, 89 percent, Republicans, 76 percent, and independents, 53 percent, also opposed the plan, the poll found.

More independents, 34 percent, supported Trumpโ€™s tariff plan than Republicans, 12 percent, and Democrats, 7 percent, the survey showed.

Trumpโ€™s tariff threats have been met with a mix ofย reactionsย from global leaders, especially those from two of Americaโ€™s top trading partners, Canada and Mexico. Canadian Finance Ministerย Chrystia Freelandย resigned earlier this week, citing Trumpโ€™s tariff plans in her resignation letter.

โ€œOur country today faces a grave challenge,โ€ Chrystia Freeland said in a letter addressed to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. โ€œThe incoming administration in the United States is pursuing a policy of aggressive economic nationalism, including a threat of 25 per cent tariffs.โ€

โ€œWe need to take that threat extremely seriously,โ€ she added. โ€œThat means keeping our fiscal powder dry today, so we have the reserves we may need for a coming tariff war. That means eschewing costly political gimmicks, which we can ill afford and which make Canadians doubt that we recognize the gravity of the moment.โ€

In her letter, Freeland argued for โ€œpushing back against โ€˜America Firstโ€™ economic nationalism with a determined effort to fight for capital and investment and the jobs they bring.โ€

โ€œThat means working in good faith and humility with the Premiers of the provinces and territories of our great and diverse country, and building a true Team Canada response,โ€ she added. 

Trump hit back at Freeland’s “toxic” behavior.

โ€œThe Great State of Canada is stunned as the Finance Minister resigns, or was fired, from her position by Governor Justin Trudeau,โ€ Trump wrote in a Monday night post on Truth Social while mocking, again, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as โ€œgovernor.โ€ 

โ€œHer behavior was totally toxic, and not at all conducive to making deals which are good for the very unhappy citizens of Canada,โ€ he added. โ€œShe will not be missed!!!โ€ 

Attorney General Sues New York Over ‘Prioritizing Illegal Immigrants’

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Governor Kathy Hochul and MTA Chair & CEO Janno Lieber make a subway safety announcement at the NYCT Rail Control Center (RCC) on Wednesday, Mar 6, 2024. (Marc A. Hermann / MTA)

Attorney General Pam Bondi Trump filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the state of New York and its governor, Kathy Hochul, and Attorney General Letitia James, alleging a failure to comply with federal law by shielding illegal immigrants.

Bondi said Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and state DMV head Mark Schroeder treated their stateโ€™s residents like second-class citizens.

โ€œWeโ€™re here today because we have filed charges against the state of New York,โ€ Bondi said at a 5 p.m. ET news conference. โ€œWe have filed charges against Kathy Hochul. We have filed charges against Letitia James and Mark Schroeder, who is with DMV. This is a new DOJ, and we are taking steps to protect Americans โ€“ American citizens.โ€

Bondi invoked a similar suit the DOJ filed against the state of Illinois a week ago and added, โ€œNew York didnโ€™t listen. So now, youโ€™re next.โ€

โ€œIf you are a state not complying with federal law, youโ€™re next,โ€ she said. โ€œGet ready. And the great men and women of law enforcement are standing behind me today. We have FBI, DEF, DEA, ATF agents. They put their lives on the line every single day to protect us.โ€

Bondi alleged New York had given a โ€œgreen light to any illegal alien in New York where law enforcement officers cannot check their identity if they pull them over.โ€ She concluded:

Law enforcement officers do not have access to their background, and if these great men and women pull over someone and donโ€™t have access to their background, they have no idea who theyโ€™re dealing with, and it puts their lives on the line every single day. Violent criminals, gang members, drug traffickers, human smugglers will no longer terrorize the American people, and that is why we are here today. You will be held accountable if you do not follow federal law. Itโ€™s over, it ends, and weโ€™re coming after you.

Judge Rebuked Twice By Supreme Court Deals New Blow To Trump Immigration Agenda

A federal judge already twice rebuked by the Supreme Court is back at itโ€”this time blocking the Trump administration from ending legal protections for thousands of Ethiopian migrants.

Judge Brian Murphy, a Biden appointee in Massachusetts, temporarily halted the administrationโ€™s plan to strip temporary protected status (TPS) from more than 5,000 Ethiopiansโ€”a move that would have made them deportable within 60 days.

Murphy said the Department of Homeland Security didnโ€™t follow the law when it pulled the plug on the program.

That ruling lands right in the middle of the administrationโ€™s broader push to shrink TPS and tighten immigration enforcement.

But it also lands on a judge with a track record.

Murphy has repeatedly tried to block Trump-era deportation policiesโ€”especially efforts to send migrants to third countries. The Supreme Court has stepped in twice to reverse him, even issuing a rare 7โ€“2 clarification saying he ignored its orders. An appeals court also shut down one of his more recent rulings just last month.

Critics say this is more of the same.

โ€œThis rogue judge lacks the subject matter jurisdiction to issue this order,โ€ Sen. Eric Schmitt said. โ€œThe assault on the rule of law continues.โ€

Legal analyst Jonathan Turley piled on, warning that โ€œthis system cannot function with such rogue operators at the trial level.โ€

Iowa Solicitor General Eric Wessan pointed to what he sees as a fundamental problem: the law itself.

โ€œOne big problem for Murphy is the statute: It explains TPS determinations arenโ€™t reviewable. Another is the Supreme Court, which has stopped similar orders twice,โ€ Wessan said. โ€œHe finds neither statute nor SCOTUS stops him. Iโ€™m unconvinced.โ€

Murphy, for his part, insists heโ€™s not defying the high court. He noted that the Supreme Court hasnโ€™t fully explained its recent TPS-related rulingsโ€”and hasnโ€™t stepped in on every similar case.

โ€œThere is no reason to assumeโ€ the justices have settled the issue, he wrote.

The lawsuit behind the ruling claims the administrationโ€™s TPS rollback isnโ€™t just proceduralโ€”itโ€™s discriminatory. Lawyers for the plaintiffs argue the policy is aimed at reducing non-white immigration, writing that the effort targets โ€œthe nationals of majority Black countriesโ€ in particular.

The Justice Department is expected to appeal, setting up yet another round in a growing legal fight between the Trump administration and a judge who keeps standing in its way.

Trump Administration Delivers Historic Border Security Win โ€” Lowest Apprehensions Since 1970

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Trump at the border wall via Wikimedia Commons

The Trump administration has closed fiscal year 2025 with a historic milestone on border security โ€” the lowest U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions in more than five decades, according to preliminary enforcement data released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Border agents recorded 237,565 apprehensions in fiscal year 2025 โ€” slightly above the 201,780 apprehensions in 1970 but dramatically below recent levels. The numbers represent an 87% drop compared to the average of the past four fiscal years (1.86 million apprehensions) and showcase what can happen when the federal government finally enforces immigration laws.

This achievement came even though 72% of this yearโ€™s total apprehensions happened during the final 111 days of the Biden administration โ€” before President Trump returned to office and immediately began reversing his predecessorโ€™s โ€œopen-borderโ€ policies.

โ€œFiscal year 2025 shows what happens when we enforce the law without compromise,โ€ said CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott. โ€œFor too long, agents and officers were handcuffed by failed policies. Today they are empowered to do their jobs โ€” and the result is the most secure border in modern history.โ€


Reversing Bidenโ€™s Border Chaos

When President Trump took office in January 2025, he inherited what many described as a border crisis fueled by Bidenโ€™s mass-release policies. In just the first 111 days of the fiscal year, under Bidenโ€™s watch, 172,026 apprehensions occurred โ€” nearly three-quarters of the yearโ€™s total.

But once Trumpโ€™s immigration directives took effect, the situation changed dramatically. Over the next 254 days, apprehensions plummeted to 65,539 โ€” just 27% of the fiscal yearโ€™s total.

September 2025 alone saw only about 279 apprehensions per day along the Southwest border โ€” a staggering 95% decline compared to the Biden-era daily average of 5,110. It also marked the fifth consecutive month of zero illegal immigrant releases by Border Patrol โ€” a stark contrast to 9,144 releases in September 2024.

Across all entry points, CBP recorded roughly 26,000 total encounters in September, down 89% from Bidenโ€™s monthly averages.


Strong Action From Day One

President Trump wasted no time taking decisive action to reestablish border control:

  • Deployed additional personnel to the southern border.
  • Ended โ€œcatch-and-releaseโ€, ensuring illegal migrants are no longer released while awaiting hearings.
  • Shut down Bidenโ€™s CBP One app parole loophole, later repurposing the app to help migrants self-deport.
  • Paused parole programs and authorized ICE to cancel parole statuses.
  • Ordered strict enforcement of existing immigration laws, restoring morale and authority to frontline border agents.

These policies stand in sharp contrast to Bidenโ€™s approach, which relied on controversial โ€œparoleโ€ programs and insisted on new legislation instead of acting on existing laws.

White House Delivers Ultimatum To ICE: Triple The Arrests Or Face The Consequences

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Illegal Immigration in the United State via Wikimedia Commons

According to new reports, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller delivered a blunt ultimatum to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leadership in mid-May: ramp up arrests to 3,000 per day or face personnel changes.

During a tense meeting at ICE headquarters in Washington, D.C., Miller reportedly warned that regional offices failing to meet the target would see their leadership replaced. Sources familiar with the meeting said Miller left no room for interpretation โ€” improved numbers werenโ€™t encouraged, they were mandatory. (RELATED: Legal Battle May Reveal Big Payouts Tied To Bidenโ€™s Border Policies)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, also in attendance, struck a more measured tone. Still, the message was clear, according to NBC News: immigration enforcement efforts must intensify and take precedence:

Misdemeanor cases for border crossings are regularly appearing in federal court, a rarity in recent years. Justice Department teams focused on other issues are being disbanded, with members being dispersed to teams focused on immigration and other administration priorities.

And prosecutors say cases without immigration components have stalled or are moving more slowly, according to documents seen by NBC News and conversations with six current and former prosecutors and a senior FBI official, who described how immigration is now a central part of discussions around whether to pursue cases.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

โ€œImmigration status is now question No. 1 in terms of charging decisions,โ€ an assistant U.S. attorney said. โ€œIs this person a documented immigrant? Is this person an undocumented immigrant? Is this person a citizen? Are they somehow deportable? What is their immigration status? And the answer to that question is now largely driving our charging decisions.โ€

At least one U.S. attorneyโ€™s office abandoned a potential federal prosecution of someone who prosecutors felt was dangerous because the case against the person lacked an immigration component, an email obtained by NBC News showed. The office instead left the case to state prosecutors.

Mobilizing National Resources

Following the confrontation, ICE launched โ€œOperation At Large,โ€ a coast-to-coast initiative designed to supercharge apprehensions. The scale is unprecedented. Over 21,000 National Guard troops and 250 IRS agents have been folded into the effort, alongside thousands of ICE and federal law enforcement personnel. (RELATED: Police Case That Fueled 2020 Protests Returns To Supreme Court)

The operationโ€™s reach has required coordination across agencies, pulling FBI and DOJ resources away from their usual focus areas and toward immigration-related priorities.

The Daily Mail has more on Miller’s dramatic call to action:

According to the Washington Examiner, Miller allegedly told them: ‘You guys aren’t doing a good job. You’re horrible leaders.’

He then reportedly gave them an open challenge and asked: ‘Why aren’t you at Home Depot? Why aren’t you at 7-Eleven?’

Miller further pushed, getting into what an official called a ‘p***ing contest,’ saying: ‘What do you mean youโ€™re going after criminals?โ€™

Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

In a statement to the Examiner, ICE deputy assistant director of media affairs Laszlo Baksay said the descriptions were ‘inaccurate.’

However, the conservative-leaning outlet cited sources within ICE and DHS who claimed Millerโ€™s remarks further eroded morale among rank-and-file agents, which was already low.

โ€œHe had nothing positive to say about anybody,โ€ one official told the paper, describing the mood following Millerโ€™s visit.

Another source painted a darker picture of the internal climate confronting ICE agents:

โ€œTheyโ€™ve been threatened, told theyโ€™re watching their emails and texts and Signals. Thatโ€™s what is horrible about things right now. Itโ€™s a fearful environment. Everybody in leadership is afraid. Thereโ€™s no morale. Everybody is demoralized.โ€

Despite the backlash, Miller defended the administrationโ€™s approach during an appearance with Sean Hannity, insisting the 3,000-arrest-per-day quota is only a temporary benchmark โ€” and warning that agents should be prepared for that figure to rise.

Florida Sweep Sets Records, Nashville Backlash Sparks Tensions

Localized operations have revealed just how expansive the crackdown has become since Miller and Noem appeared at Potomac Center Plaza in Southwest D.C. Across the nation, agents have ramped up early-morning sweeps and workplace raids, often coordinated with minimal local notification. In Florida, a weeklong action labeled โ€œOperation Tidal Waveโ€ resulted in 1,120 arrests โ€” the largest ICE enforcement action ever recorded in a single state.

Tennessee saw similar efforts, with 196 arrests in the Nashville area. The local response was sharply critical. Nashvilleโ€™s mayor denounced the operation as out of step with the cityโ€™s values and implemented policies limiting cooperation with ICE. Republicans in Congress are now investigating whether the mayorโ€™s office leaked information about ICE agents โ€” a serious charge with national implications.

Focus on Career Criminals โ€” But Collateral Arrests Are Rising

Officially, the crackdown targets individuals with criminal records or prior deportation orders. But internal ICE guidance reportedly encourages officers to make โ€œcollateral arrestsโ€ โ€” detaining illegal immigrants encountered in the field, even if they werenโ€™t the original target and have no criminal history.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/us_icegov/54295293536/in/photostream/, Creative Commons Attribution-Public Domain Mark 1.0 Universal (CC BY-NC-SA 1.0)

The broader approach has raised legal and logistical concerns, as well as fears of potential overreach, according to immigrant advocacy groups.

Leadership Purge Signals Internal Pressure

It also hasnโ€™t come without fallout inside ICE. Two senior officials โ€” Kenneth Genalo and Robert Hammer โ€” have been removed from their posts in recent weeks. Sources say the firings reflect internal friction over how aggressively to pursue the administrationโ€™s ambitious targets. They also serve as a warning to others who might be perceived as resistant to the push.

White House: Fulfilling the Mandate, Critics Question the Cost

The administration stands by the operation. Officials say it delivers on President Trumpโ€™s second-term promise: to secure the border and remove criminal illegal aliens.

Still, questions remain. Legal scholars are raising red flags over the breadth of federal involvement, and local-federal cooperation is growing more strained. As the operation continues, so does the debate โ€” over strategy, law, and the real-world impact on communities nationwide.