In a significant policy shift, President-elect Donald Trump's administration is reassessing its immigration enforcement strategy in major U.S. cities such as Chicago and New York.
The Daily Mail reported that following media leaks, plans for large-scale raids have been put under reconsideration by Trump's border czar, Tom Homan.
Homan, recently appointed as the 'border czar' by President-elect Donald Trump, has sparked a national debate with his planned immigration raids. These raids, targeted primarily at Chicago and New York, were scheduled to commence only a day following Trump's second inauguration.
However, a leak of the operation details has prompted Homan and the administration to potentially rethink their strategy. Homan voiced concerns on Fox News about the dangers leaks pose to law enforcement personnel involved in the raids.
The leaks appeared after the Chicago City Council passed a resolution prohibiting local police from collaborating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), signaling strong local opposition to the federal initiative.
Homan's response to the leaks was public and pointed. He criticized the leadership in cities like Chicago for not cooperating with federal immigration enforcement efforts.
"We're looking at this leak and will make a decision based on this leak. It's unfortunate because anyone leaking law enforcement operations puts officers at great risk," Homan stated.
Additionally, he emphasized a nationwide enforcement initiative to Fox News viewers, explaining that the forthcoming actions would no longer be hindered by previous administrative restrictions. This declaration indicates a significant shift in ICE's operational posture under the Trump administration.
Moving forward, Homan promised vigorous enforcement against entities and individuals that harbor or conceal undocumented immigrants, raising the stakes for local leaders like Chicago’s Mayor Brandon Johnson, who has vowed to protect his city’s immigrant communities.
"We intend to stand by and protect Chicago's immigrant communities against threats from ICE," declared Mayor Johnson, reflecting widespread sentiment in sanctuary cities that offer protection to undocumented immigrants.
Chicago has seen a substantial influx of migrants, with over 50,000 arrivals since August 2022. This demographic shift has only intensified the focus and urgency of ICE's planned operations in the area.
Social media was abuzz with warnings about the proposed raids, circulating rumors, and increasing anxiety among immigrant communities about potential large-scale deportations taking place around the inauguration day.
Despite the local pushback, Homan's message was clear. "There's going to be a big raid all across the country. Chicago is just one of many places. ICE is finally going to do its job. We're going to take the handcuffs off of ICE and let them go arrest criminal aliens," he explained during the Fox News interview.
The breadth of the proposed operations also included other major cities across the United States. "You're going to see arrests in New York. You're going to see arrests in Miami,” disclosed a source familiar with the plans to Reuters.
Moreover, regarding the potential impact on families, Homan noted, “However, we're going to enforce the law. So, if you put yourself in that position, it's on you. You can either take a child home with you or they just stay there, but you don't get a pass.” This comment underscores the tough stance the administration intends to maintain on immigration.
Such public discourse around specific immigration enforcement plans is atypical, as noted by John Sandweg, former acting director of ICE during the Obama administration. "Historically this is something we kept very close wraps on for officer safety reasons," he commented, highlighting the unusual nature of discussing such sensitive operations publicly.