In May, it was disclosed that White House officials had established a daily target for ICE agents to apprehend 3,000 individuals. This revelation highlights the administration's aggressive stance on immigration enforcement and raises significant questions about the implications for communities and the legal processes involved.
In a recent court document, attorneys for the Trump administration explicitly refuted claims of a mandatory daily target for immigration arrests, contradicting earlier statements from White House officials which suggested a goal of achieving at least 3,000 deportations or arrest operations daily.
Reports surfaced in May from reputable sources, stating that during a meeting on May 21 with leaders from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), White House advisor Stephen Miller and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had urged immigration agents to aim for 3,000 arrests each day. Following these reports, Miller publicly affirmed on a news broadcast that the administration, under Trump's direction, aimed to achieve these numbers as a minimum daily target for ICE, with intentions to exceed this threshold progressively.
However, the narrative shifted in a court filing presented on Friday by Justice Department lawyers. They declared that the Department of Homeland Security had verified that neither ICE leadership nor any field offices had been instructed to adhere to any specific numerical goals for arrests, detentions, removals, or other immigration enforcement actions.
This court filing is part of an ongoing legal battle in Southern California, where immigrant advocacy groups have accused the Trump administration of carrying out unconstitutional immigration raids in the Los Angeles area. In response, a judge issued a temporary restraining order in mid-July, prohibiting ICE agents from detaining individuals based on race, occupation, or language, across the central district of California, which includes Los Angeles. This order was subsequently upheld by an appeals court.
During a court hearing earlier in the week, Justice Department lawyers were questioned about these alleged arrest quotas. When asked if it was currently an administration policy to deport 3,000 individuals daily, attorney Yaakov Roth responded, "Not to my knowledge, your honor."
In addition, the government's filing emphasized that the claims regarding a daily arrest mandate appear to stem from media reports quoting a White House advisor, who described the figure as a 'goal' rather than a fixed policy directive from DHS or ICE.
Despite these clarifications, the discrepancy between the administration's public statements and legal assertions remains a focal point of discussion. DHS Assistant Press Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that under Secretary Noem's leadership, ICE has been empowered to target and deport criminals, labeling it the largest operation of its kind in American history.
Moreover, a spokesperson for the White House remarked that the administration is committed to conducting the most extensive mass deportation operation by enforcing immigration laws and removing criminals that have entered American communities.
A Justice Department spokesperson also indicated that there is no inconsistency between the department's court filings and the administration's public declarations, affirming that the entire administration is unified in its commitment to enforce the nation's immigration laws vigorously.
Throughout his 2024 election campaign, Trump had repeatedly vowed to target between 15 and 20 million undocumented individuals residing in the United States for deportation. As of the last report in 2022, there were approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.