Trump immigration dragnet ensnares people at check-ins and court hearings
Source: The Guardian
Trump immigration dragnet ensnares people at check-ins and court hearings
Ice’s pursuit of ‘low-hanging fruit’ by allegedly tricking people complying with rules could be counterproductive
Alexandra Villarreal
Tue 18 Feb 2025 12.00 GMT
Last modified on Tue 18 Feb 2025 12.03 GMT
People attending recent mandatory immigration check-ins or court appearances have been escorted out in federal custody after the Trump administration allegedly tricked, lied to, or otherwise deceived them as part of its mass deportation campaign.
Amid a blitz of immigration-related policy changes over the last few weeks, Donald Trump and his subordinates have greenlit the ability of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) to conduct potential civil enforcement operations at courthouses, including in immigration courts.
They have also reportedly set daily arrest quotas between at least 1,200 and 1,500 and gotten angry when agents have not consistently met those targets – pressure from the top that is probably incentivizing officers on the ground to go after the lowest-hanging fruit instead of people with serious criminal records.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/18/trump-immigration-dragnet