As nationwide deportation operations unfolded over the weekend, top Trump administration officials convened in Chicago to observe the launch of their crackdown. According to Border Czar Tom Homan, the arrests targeted individuals with criminal records in the city. Many of the detained included migrants without prior offenses who were classified as "collateral."
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported 956 arrests on Sunday, 286 on Saturday, and 593 on Friday. By comparison, during the 2024 federal fiscal year, the agency averaged approximately 310 arrests per day.
While ICE arrests were reported nationwide, the agency announced a special focus on Chicago, where Homan was personally overseeing enforcement efforts on Sunday.
"[ICE], along with federal partners, including the FBI, ATF, DEA, CBP and the U.S. Marshals Service, began conducting enhanced targeted operations today in Chicago to enforce U.S. immigration law and preserve public safety and national security by keeping potentially dangerous criminal aliens out of our communities," the agency wrote on its website.
In an ABC News interview that aired the same day, Homan stated that Sunday's operations were only the beginning:
"You're going to see the numbers steadily increase—the number of arrests nationwide—as we open up the aperture. Right now, it's concentrating on public safety threats, national security threats. That's a smaller population. So, we're going to do this on a priority basis—that's President Trump's promise. But as that aperture opens, there'll be more arrests nationwide."
When asked if all the arrested individuals were "convicted criminals," Homan disclosed that migrants without criminal convictions were also arrested, mainly in sanctuary cities. The border czar went on to blame sanctuary policies for "the collaterals":
"Where do the collateral arrests happen? Sanctuary cities—Sanctuary cities lock us out of the jails. So, instead of ICE being able to arrest the bad guy—in the safety and security of a jail where the officer is safe, the alien is safe, and the public is safe, sanctuary cities release them back into the community, which endangers the community.You're putting the alien criminal back in the community. But when we find him, he's going to be with others, most likely. Many times, they're with others. If they're in the country illegally, they're coming too."
Chicago city leaders, including Mayor Brandon Johnson, took to social media to warn residents about the deportations, assuring them that municipal authorities were not to be feared.
"We've received reports of ICE enforcement activity in Chicago today. Please know that Chicago police were not involved," he wrote. "It's important that everyone understands their rights."
While the arrests were unfolding, community members activated "rapid response teams" and went on social media to share the locations where they were spotting ICE agents. According to various social media posts, ICE targeted "individual homes" and did not sweep "any particular neighborhood."
As Homan targets convicted criminals during the first wave of deportation arrests, he is also preparing to expand the scope of deportations to include a much broader population.
The czar disclosed that he is currently coordinating efforts to increase ICE's bed space, infrastructure, and transportation capacity. He also stated that the agency would be working with the Department of Justice for assistance, though he did not provide specific details.
Originally published on Latin Times
