• ICE will arrest all undocumented immigrants, regardless of criminal history.
• Employers hiring unauthorized workers face increased scrutiny and potential prosecution.
• Collaterally arrested individuals will include non-criminals found during enforcement operations.
• Recent large-scale raids have already targeted various work sites across the U.S.
• ICE aims to reach a target of 1 million deportations aided by new funding.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is set to intensify its operations against undocumented immigrants, arresting anyone found unlawfully residing in the United States, irrespective of their criminal background. This approach marks a shift from the previous administration's policies, focusing on "collateral arrests," which refer to the detention of non-criminal undocumented immigrants during broader operations, a practice curtailed during the Biden administration. Acting ICE director Todd Lyons expressed frustration, stating, "A local law enforcement agency, state agency already deemed that person a public safety threat and arrested them and they’re in detention," indicating a belief that sanctuary policies are forcing ICE into communities to make these arrests. This policy shift is under directives from the Trump administration, which aims to reaffirm stringent immigration enforcement, according to CBS News, AA, TRT Global, and India Times.

From January 1 to the present, ICE has recorded nearly 150,000 deportations, including approximately 70,000 individuals with criminal convictions, although many of these offenses were minor, such as immigration violations or traffic infractions. Lyons did not dismiss the potential of achieving the administration's target of deporting 1 million individuals in a single year, bolstered by recent multi-billion-dollar funding from Congress. He stated, "ICE is always focused on the worst of the worst," emphasizing a wider scope of enforcement under the current administration, as highlighted by CBS News, AA, TRT Global, and India Times.

The renewed focus on workplace enforcement has led to large-scale raids, as recently demonstrated by operations at a meatpacking plant in Nebraska, a racetrack in Louisiana, and several cannabis farms in California where over 300 unauthorized immigrant workers were arrested, including minors. Lyons asserted that not only will undocumented workers face arrest, but employers who hire them will also be prosecuted. He stated, "It’s not a victimless crime," referencing serious issues such as forced labor and trafficking. This highlights ICE's intent to hold companies accountable for employing unauthorized labor, as reiterated by CBS News, AA, TRT Global, and India Times.