Trump Officials Direct ICE To Triple Daily Immigrant Arrests

Top Trump administration officials, including White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, have directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to triple daily immigrant arrests to 3,000, significantly escalating deportation efforts. This target, which is triple the arrest numbers from early in Trump's term and aims for over one million annual deportations, was communicated in a tense meeting where Miller's harsh tone raised concerns among some officials about job security. The directive comes despite a recent decline in border crossings and is part of a broader aggressive immigration enforcement strategy, supported by the "One Big Beautiful Bill," which allocates $147 billion over ten years for border security, including wall construction and increased staffing for ICE and Border Patrol. While Noem took a milder tone during the meeting, Miller's approach emphasized urgent and increased arrests, reflecting President Trump’s commitment to deporting unauthorized immigrants, particularly those who entered during the Biden administration. Critics note that despite the rhetoric and increased funding, actual arrest numbers have not yet dramatically increased compared to the end of the Biden presidency, but the administration is pushing hard to meet the new high targets. This heightened enforcement strategy reflects the Trump administration’s pursuit of its largest mass deportation effort in American history.