Washington/The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) detained more than 10,000 people in the last five days, an increase that practically doubles the rate of arrests recorded at the beginning of the year, as part of a strategy promoted by the Donald Trump Administration to intensify the application of immigration laws. reported this Wednesday The New York Times.
According to the newspaper, which cites internal documents and interviews with federal officials, ICE management recently ordered its regional officials to redouble efforts to locate and detain immigrants who are susceptible to deportation. The arrests have been made during immigration controls, traffic inspections and operations on public roads.
The number of arrests has gone from around 1,000 a day at the beginning of this year to around 2,000 a day, a goal that, according to three officials cited by the newspaper, was transferred to agents at the request of the White House.
Unlike previous widely announced operations in cities such as Chicago or Los Angeles, the recent increase in arrests has occurred with a lower profile, without large public displays.
One of them warned, however, that it is not clear how long that level of activity can be maintained.
Unlike previous widely announced operations in cities such as Chicago or Los Angeles, the recent increase in arrests has been carried out with a lower profile, without large public displays, after the Administration modified its strategy following criticism generated by high-impact operations in previous months, the newspaper noted.
The increase in arrests comes as Trump insists on accelerating his policy of mass deportations, one of the main promises of his second term.
The immigration offensive also coincides with recent Supreme Court decisions that expanded the Executive’s margin of action in immigration matters, although they limited its attempt to end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants and temporary visitors.
