Deportation raids targeting migrants without legal status in the United States are set to begin on the first full day of President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.
This action comes as part of Trump’s pledge to initiate the largest deportation program in US history, focusing initially on criminals and gang members.
According to BBC News, the raids could begin in Chicago as early as Tuesday.
The operations are expected to focus on so-called “sanctuary” cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Cities like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Denver, and Miami are likely to be targeted.
Reports inform that agents in the Chicago area were instructed to join the planned raids without informing agency heads in Washington, DC. Trump’s administration has vowed to prioritize these cities in the new deportation strategy.
Tom Homan, the incoming “border tsar” for the Trump administration, has outlined plans for these raids, which he has referred to as “targeted enforcement operations” rather than raids.
Homan established that the operations would be well-organized, with ICE agents knowing exactly who they were looking for and where to find them.
He also stated that deportation flights would begin within the first week of Trump’s presidency, despite potential lawsuits from groups like the American Civil Liberties Union.
Reports inform that the announcement of the raids has sparked fear among immigrant communities, particularly in cities with large migrant populations. D Camacho, a 21-year-old legal immigrant from Mexico, voiced concerns at a church in Chicago: “I’m scared, but I can’t imagine what people without papers are feeling.” Reverend Emma Lozano expressed worry about the effect on families, asking, “If someone with five children gets taken, who will take the children in?”