Trump has already deployed immigration agents into major US cities, sweeping through neighborhoods and clashing with local residents. Although federal agents have conducted some notable raids on businesses this year, they have mostly steered clear of targeting farms, factories, and other economically vital enterprises known to employ undocumented immigrants.
ICE and Border Patrol will receive an additional $170 billion in funding through September 2029 – a significant boost over their existing annual budgets of around $19 billion, thanks to a large spending package passed by the Republican-controlled Congress in July.
Officials in the administration indicate plans to hire thousands of additional agents, open new detention facilities, apprehend more immigrants from local jails, and collaborate with private firms to locate undocumented individuals.
The broadened deportation strategy unfolds even as signs of political opposition grow ahead of the midterm elections.
Miami, one of the cities heavily impacted by Trump’s immigration policies due to its large immigrant community, recently elected its first Democratic mayor in nearly thirty years, which the mayor-elect attributed in part to a response to the president’s actions. Other local elections and polls reveal increasing apprehension among voters regarding aggressive immigration strategies.
“People are starting to perceive this not merely as an immigration issue but as a violation of rights, due process, and militarizing neighborhoods without constitutional basis,” stated Mike Madrid, a moderate Republican political strategist. “This undoubtedly poses challenges for the president and the Republican Party.”
Trump’s overall approval rating on immigration policy declined from 50% in March, prior to launching crackdowns in several major cities, to 41% by mid-December, affecting what had been one of his strongest issues.
Growing public discomfort has centered on masked federal agents employing aggressive measures such as using tear gas in residential areas and detaining US citizens.
‘Numbers will explode’
In addition to amplifying enforcement measures, Trump has rescinded temporary legal status for hundreds of thousands of Haitian, Venezuelan, and Afghan immigrants, thereby broadening the pool of those who may face deportation as he commits to removing one million immigrants annually — a target he will likely fall short of this year. To date, around 622,000 immigrants have been deported since Trump assumed office in January.
White House border czar Tom Homan informed Reuters that Trump has fulfilled his promise of a historic deportation effort by removing criminals and shutting down illegal immigration across the US-Mexico border. Homan mentioned that as ICE recruits more officers and expands detention capacity with the new funds, the number of arrests will rise significantly.
“You can expect the numbers to greatly increase next year,” Homan stated.
Homan confirmed that plans “absolutely” include heightened enforcement at workplaces.
Sarah Pierce, director of social policy at the center-left group Third Way, noted that US businesses have been hesitant to challenge Trump’s immigration crackdown in the past year but may be prompted to voice their concerns if the focus shifts to employers.
Pierce remarked that it would be telling to see “whether or not businesses finally challenge this administration.”
Trump, a Republican, regained the presidency by promising unprecedented levels of deportations, claiming it was necessary after years of high undocumented immigration under his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden. He initiated a campaign sending federal agents to US cities to seek potential immigration offenders, inciting protests and lawsuits over allegations of racial profiling and violence.
Some businesses have closed their doors to avoid raids or due to a decline in customers. Parents at risk of arrest have kept their children home from school or arranged for neighbors to escort them. Some US citizens have begun carrying passports.
Despite public statements focusing on criminals, government data shows that the Trump administration has been detaining more individuals who have not committed any crimes beyond suspected immigration violations compared to previous administrations.
Approximately 41% of the roughly 54,000 individuals arrested by ICE and detained by late November had no criminal record apart from an alleged immigration violation, according to agency statistics. In the initial weeks of January, before Trump took office, only 6% of those arrested and detained by ICE had no charges for other crimes.
The Trump administration has also targeted legal immigrants. Agents have arrested the spouses of U.S. citizens at their green card interviews, pulled individuals from certain countries out of their naturalization ceremonies moments before they were to become citizens, and revoked thousands of student visas.
Plans to target employers
The administration’s forthcoming emphasis on job sites could lead to many more arrests and impact the US economy as well as Republican-affiliated business owners.
Replacing immigrants arrested during workplace raids could result in higher labor costs, undermining Trump’s ongoing battle against inflation, which analysts anticipate will be a critical issue in the closely watched November elections, influencing control of Congress.
Earlier this year, administration officials had exempted certain businesses from enforcement under Trump’s orders, only to quickly reverse that decision, as reported by Reuters at the time.
Some immigration hardliners have called for intensified enforcement at workplaces.
“Eventually, the focus will need to shift to these employers,” remarked Jessica Vaughan, policy director for the Center for Immigration Studies, an organization advocating for lower immigration levels. “Once that begins, employers will start to rectify their practices on their own.”
