The Trump administration is reportedly set to begin large-scale immigration raids targeting undocumented migrants on its first full day in office. According to reports from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, these operations, spearheaded by Trump’s “border tsar” Tom Homan, could commence as early as Tuesday in Chicago, a city with a significant migrant population. President Trump has pledged to oversee the largest deportation program in U.S. history, marking a hardline approach to immigration enforcement.
Homan recently promised a “big raid” during an interview with Fox News, declaring that Chicago would be “ground zero” for these actions. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which routinely conducts deportations, is expected to expand its efforts by targeting so-called “sanctuary cities.” These cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Denver, and Miami, limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Homan told a Republican gathering in Chicago last month, “January 21st, you’re going to see a lot of ICE agents in your city looking for criminals and gang members. Count on it. It will happen.”
While the Trump team has signaled that the raids will initially focus on undocumented migrants with criminal records, many fear that long-term residents without criminal histories will also be targeted. This marks a significant shift from the Biden administration’s policy, which prioritized removing individuals who posed national security threats or had recently entered the U.S. illegally.
The raids are expected to extend to workplaces, including construction sites and farms, industries where undocumented migrants are commonly employed. These operations, which were largely discontinued under President Biden, are set to resume under Trump. CBS News reports that businesses employing undocumented workers, such as those in agriculture, are preparing for heightened enforcement.
The announcement of these actions has already caused widespread fear in migrant communities. Many families are seeking legal advice and making contingency plans to protect their children in case of sudden detentions. “The administration is not yet sworn in, but people are already afraid,” said Sarait Martinez, director of a California-based organization supporting Mexican farmworkers, in an interview with Reuters.
In addition to deportation raids, there are concerns that the administration may rescind the long-standing policy that designates churches as safe spaces where ICE agents cannot make arrests. This move would further escalate fears among undocumented migrants. However, these mass deportations are expected to pose logistical challenges, including limited detention space for those detained in raids.
Adding to the administration’s crackdown on immigration, Congress is set to vote on the Laken Riley Act, named after a college student killed in Georgia by a Venezuelan man who had previously been arrested for shoplifting. If passed, the legislation would require federal authorities to detain undocumented migrants suspected of criminal activity, even if they have not been formally charged.
As these policies take shape, fears of sweeping immigration enforcement and workplace raids are likely to create tension between federal authorities and local governments in sanctuary cities, while deeply unsettling migrant communities.