Mass ICE Deportation Raids Begin in Chicago and Other Sanctuary Cities — First Major Enforcement Action

The Trump administration launches its first major mass deportation operation, conducting ICE raids in Chicago and other sanctuary cities. The operation, widely publicized in advance, results in hundreds of arrests in the first week. The administration claims it is targeting individuals with criminal records but reports quickly emerge of US citizens and legal residents being detained. Acting ICE Director Caleb Vitello is later reassigned after the administration expresses dissatisfaction with the pace of arrests. The administration ultimately transfers operational control to border czar Tom Homan and sets a goal of 1,200 to 1,500 arrests per day, expanding to workplace raids, school zones, and courthouses. The raids represent the most aggressive federal immigration enforcement operation in modern US history, invoking wartime deportation laws from 1798 and making ICE the de facto domestic security force Trump promised on the campaign trail.