ICE Director Says 'No Free Pass' for Illegal Immigrants Under Trump's Policies

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ICE Director Says 'No Free Pass' for Illegal Immigrants Under Trump's Policies
ImmigrationIMMIGRATIONICE
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ICE Director Matt Elliston states that there is no free pass for illegal immigrants under President Trump's policies, emphasizing the prioritization of apprehending those who pose a threat to public safety or have criminal records. He clarifies that ICE operations are not arbitrary 'raids' and that sensitive locations like schools, churches, and hospitals are rarely targeted. The article highlights the surge in daily ICE arrests since Trump took office, the removal of guidelines restricting ICE operations in sensitive locations, and the allowance of 'collateral arrests'. It also discusses the Trump administration's focus on mass deportation and public support for such policies.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office director has stated that there is no free pass for illegal immigrants under President Donald Trump 's immigration policies. Matt Elliston, director of the ICE Baltimore field office, emphasized that officers continue to prioritize the apprehension of illegal immigrants who have committed crimes or pose a threat to public safety.

This stance reflects a key campaign promise of President Trump, who made immigration a central issue during his successful presidential run. Public support for his mass deportation plans is significant, with a New York Times/Ipsos poll conducted from January 2 to 10 revealing that 55 percent of voters either strongly or somewhat supported such measures. A large majority, 88 percent, expressed support for deporting immigrants who are present illegally and have criminal records. Trump's administration has seen a surge in daily ICE arrests since he took office. While arrests averaged 311 per day in the year leading up to September 30 and remained relatively stable in the initial days following Trump's inauguration, the numbers spiked dramatically on Sunday to 956 and further escalated to 1,179 on Monday. If this trend continues, it could result in record-breaking arrest figures. Further changes to ICE operations have been implemented, including the lifting of guidelines that previously restricted ICE from operating in 'sensitive locations' such as schools, churches, or hospitals. This decision has generated concerns that migrants might avoid these locations, potentially including seeking essential medical care. Elliston, however, asserted that ICE rarely conducts operations in these sensitive locations. He shared that during his career, he had only entered a school once, to assist in stopping an active shooter situation. Other restrictions have been removed, allowing ICE operations within courthouses. A significant shift under the Trump administration is the allowance of 'collateral arrests'. Previously, under the Biden administration, officers were limited to arresting only those designated for removal. 'Collateral arrests' were prohibited. Now, officers are authorized to apprehend individuals without legal status if they encounter them during operations targeting another person. In Maryland, for example, ICE made 13 arrests on Monday, with nine being the targeted individuals and four being collateral arrests. Among those apprehended without being the initial targets, one had a conviction for aggravated theft, another had previously been deported, and two others had final orders of removal. The new administration's approach to immigration enforcement has drawn attention to recent arrests in Chicago, which involved the participation of the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, all of which are components of the Justice Department

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Immigration IMMIGRATION ICE DONALD TRUMP MASS DEPORTATION BORDER SECURITY COLLATERAL ARRESTS SENSITIVE LOCATIONS

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