NEWARK, N.J. — Just days into his presidency, the administration of Donald Trump emphasized its deportation initiatives and introduced new regulations aimed at easing the removal of individuals living in the U.S. unlawfully. This shift is part of a series of actions taken to fulfill campaign commitments aimed at tightening restrictions on illegal immigration. As immigration officials ramped up enforcement actions, there were growing concerns among communities across the nation, with Newark, New Jersey officials expressing their outrage over what they labeled as unlawful arrests conducted by immigration authorities.
The Trump administration illustrated its commitment to deportations by describing U.S. military aircraft as instrumental in transporting migrants expelled from the U.S. to Central America. Among the notable figures reported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were 593 arrests on Friday and 538 arrests the preceding Thursday. The administration also deployed U.S. soldiers and Marines to the U.S.-Mexico border while relaxing previous policies that limited immigration enforcement around educational institutions and places of worship.
While these ICE operations involved a considerable number of arrests, such actions were not particularly outside the norm. Under the Biden administration, similar deportation flights occurred, albeit without the involvement of military transport. On average, ICE executed around 311 arrests per day over the last fiscal year that concluded on September 30. In 2023, President Joe Biden also ordered active-duty troops to the southern border, while numerous administrations have previously dispatched National Guard members to aid Customs and Border Protection.
Alarming reports of arrests and the visibility of immigration agents have incited anxiety in various communities nationwide. Some advocacy groups are devising strategies to safeguard immigrants in case of apprehensions occurring at educational institutions or job sites. For instance, officials from Chicago Public Schools mistakenly believed that ICE agents had conducted operations at one of their elementary schools, only to later discover that the agents were from the Secret Service. This misunderstanding exacerbated fears among immigrant populations in the third-largest city in America.
According to survey results, there is notable support among the American populace for enhancing security measures at the southern border and for implementing specific deportation actions targeting individuals who have committed serious offenses. Nevertheless, public backing diminishes significantly when it comes to deporting individuals who are in the country unlawfully but have no criminal convictions.
In Newark, local officials contested the actions taken by ICE, particularly a recent incident where Mayor Ras Baraka accused ICE agents of conducting a warrantless operation at a business, leading to the detention of three undocumented residents along with several U.S. citizens. Baraka, who is vying for his party’s gubernatorial nomination, expressed his outrage at the incident during a press conference, stating, “When I got this information I was appalled, upset, angry that this would happen here, in this state, in this country.” He vowed to advocate for the rights of all Newark residents, regardless of their immigration status.
ICE acknowledged that it had executed a “targeted enforcement operation” at a Newark establishment and acknowledged encountering some U.S. citizens who were inquired for identification. At this time, ICE could not provide further details due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
While Trump has committed to a campaign of widespread deportations, his administration’s acknowledged representative for border matters has insisted that these operations are focused on individuals who have committed crimes.
Critics like Amy Torres, the executive director of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, countered claims that the operation was targeted, suggesting that such language hints at extensive prior intelligence. She reported that her organization was alerted upon ICE’s arrival at the scene. “If this is such a sterile and targeted operation, why was a U.S. citizen interrogated?” she questioned.
The owner of Ocean Seafood Depot, the business involved in the ICE operation, emphasized that law enforcement should prioritize “bad people, not working people.”
In a separate announcement, the Trump administration declared that it would expand the application of “expedited removal” authority for immigration enforcement across the country immediately. This policy will streamline immigration proceedings, aiming to bolster national security while also reducing government expenditures.
“Expedited removal” grants immigration officers significant leeway to deport individuals without needing them to appear before an immigration judge, with few exceptions made for those expressing a fear of returning to their home country and who pass an initial screening for asylum eligibility.
Skeptics have voiced concerns over the potential for wrongful removals, as they fear the system may operate without sufficient safeguards to protect those who should be secure in their residency. As highlighted, individuals placed under expedited removal must demonstrate their eligibility to remain in the U.S. to the satisfaction of immigration officers.
This policy was initially established through legislation in 1996 but gained traction in 2004 when the Department of Homeland Security announced its intent to apply expedited removal to those apprehended shortly after entering the U.S. from land borders, which primarily targeted recent arrivals.
As part of these new measures, the Trump administration is also involving active-duty military personnel in border security and deportation drives. This past week, two C-17 military cargo planes were sent to Guatemala carrying deported migrants following the deployment of roughly 1,500 troops to two border cities, San Diego and El Paso.
Honduras has confirmed the arrival of two deportation flights this week that facilitated the return of a total of 193 individuals, a development acknowledged by its Foreign Ministry. Officials from Honduras have indicated their collaboration with the U.S. government regarding the arrangement of several deportation flights weekly, while expressing their desire to convey their own nation’s concerns and agendas on the matter.
