On Sunday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents initiated focused enforcement operations in Texas, fulfilling Donald Trump’s campaign promise to take immediate action against individuals who may have entered the country illegally.
ICE spokesperson confirmed on Sunday evening that the operations were underway in North Texas, according to The Texas Newsroom.
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement along with our federal law enforcement partners began conducting enhanced targeted operations today in North Texas and the state of Oklahoma to enforce U.S. immigration law and preserve public safety and national security by keeping potentially dangerous criminal aliens out of our communities,” the ICE spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
ICE agents apprehended a total of 84 individuals in various cities, which encompassed Dallas, Irving, Arlington, Fort Worth, Garland, and Collin County. The arrested individuals were subsequently transported to the Enforcement and Removal Operations field office in Dallas for further processing, as confirmed by an ICE spokesperson.
According to reports, law enforcement authorities carried out targeted operations in Austin and the Rio Grande Valley. However, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesman was unable to confirm any further arrests in those specific areas at the moment.
During his campaign for re-election, Trump made a promise to carry out an unparalleled deportation operation. This pledge was fulfilled when he took office on Monday. To further his immigration agenda, the president recently signed a series of executive orders. These orders aim to classify cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, declare a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, and terminate birthright citizenship.
The Trump administration has emphasized the prioritization of individuals with criminal histories, according to officials.
In a recent interview with ABC News on Sunday, Tom Homan, the border czar, emphasized the prioritization of public safety threats and national security threats. However, he also mentioned that individuals without legal status in the country could potentially face arrest, regardless of whether they fit into these specific categories.
“There’s consequences [for] entering the country illegally,” Homan said. “If we don’t show there’s consequences, you’re never going to fix the border problem.”
He also warned of “collateral arrests” of other people without legal status who ICE may encounter during these raids: “When we find him, he’s going to be with others [and] if they’re in the country illegally, they’re coming too.”