Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Five days into the new Trump administration, the White House is keen to show off its work on immigration enforcement so far, with raids reported across the country.On Thursday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) touted 538 arrests and 373 detainers lodged against illegal immigrants, with action in New York, Colorado, and Minnesota.Officials also highlighted deportation flights taking place, but immigration experts were quick to point out that the numbers and operations were not too dissimilar to those seen under former President Joe Biden.Why It MattersPresident Donald Trump ran on a promise of mass deportations and tougher measures at the southwest border, with his border czar Tom Homan promising an increase in ICE activity as soon as the president returned to the White House. Despite potential large-scale raids in Chicago and New York City this week, smaller operations took place instead.What To KnowSo far, around eight ICE raids have been confirmed or reported since January 20. While the Trump administration has highlighted some raids, others have been reported by other media outlets and local leaders, including in New Jersey where a U.S. veteran was among those detained in Newark on Thursday.
During Fiscal Year 2024, which ran October 2023 through September 2024, the average daily arrest rate was 310 for ICE officers, while detainers were around 409. The previous administration did not actively post about such activity, however, and not all immigration enforcement activity is made public.The raids seen in the first few days of the new Trump administration included the arrests of Luis Alberto Espinoza-Boconsaca in New York, who the White House said had been convicted of rape, and Cristofer Alexander Ramirez-Olivia, detained in Minnesota following a conviction for 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor.Homan said in recent interviews that the focus would be on migrants who had committed serious or violent crimes, but the threats of sweeping raids have left many undocumented migrants feeling scared to leave their homes, go to work, or attend healthcare appointments.
A poster calling on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to get out of the community hangs on a door in the Little Village neighborhood on January 22, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.
A poster calling on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to get out of the community hangs on a door in the Little Village neighborhood on January 22, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
What People Are SayingThe White House, in a post on X: “This is merely a small preview into the work the Trump administration is doing to secure our nation’s borders.”David Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, on X: “300 criminals (including those with pending charges) would be a routine day for ICE under Biden. But I wouldn’t be shocked if they are lying about them all being criminals, and a good number are noncriminals who they care more about.”Tom Homan, on Fox News earlier this week: “ICE is doing their job, and they’re prioritizing, just as the president said they would. So ICE is performing excellent right now out in the field, and they’re going to continue every day.”What’s NextThe White House appeared to be preparing to share daily updates on its immigration enforcement, with more stats from ICE and footage of work underway at the southwest border. U.S. citizens and legal residents were being warned to carry identification with them, in case they were swept up in an ICE raid or were approached by Border Patrol agents.
