DHS Plans No Immediate City-Specific Immigration Enforcement, Officials Confirm
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has confirmed that there are no current plans for city-specific immigration enforcement operations. This assertion was made by two senior DHS officials during a discussion with NBC News.
DHS Shifts Focus on Immigration Enforcement
This announcement follows the recent conclusion of Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, which was touted by the DHS as its most extensive immigration initiative to date. That operation, which began in November, involved the deployment of over 3,000 officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to the Twin Cities.
Impact of Operation Metro Surge
Operation Metro Surge resulted in approximately 4,000 arrests. However, it also sparked significant protests against ICE. The initiative gained national scrutiny after the deaths of two U.S. citizens—Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti—due to incidents involving immigration agents in Minneapolis.
Future Plans for Immigration Enforcement
The DHS officials indicated that ICE will now concentrate on apprehending serious offenders with immigration violations across the country instead of targeting specific cities. Additionally, Border Patrol agents, previously assigned to urban areas, will return to their original posts along the nation’s borders.
- More than 1,000 Border Patrol agents were previously deployed to interior cities.
- Gregory Bovino, a key figure in these operations, was recently reassigned back to El Centro, California.
Focus on Victims and Voting Security
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem plans to direct her attention toward families affected by crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, as well as security related to voting processes.
Statistics on Immigration Arrests
Since the beginning of the Trump administration, there has been a marked increase in immigration-related arrests. Notably:
- Arrests of non-criminal individuals rose dramatically, with over 75,000 such cases reported.
- These arrests were part of extensive operations in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, and Charlotte.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons informed Congress that his agency recorded a total of 379,000 arrests in the first year of the Trump administration. This included:
- 7,300 suspected gang members
- 1,400 known or suspected terrorists
Moreover, the agency deported more than 475,000 individuals from the United States within the same timeframe. As the DHS navigates its immigration enforcement strategies, the focus appears to be shifting toward a broader, nationwide approach rather than targeting specific urban areas.
