In his first day as U.S. President, Donald Trump’s administration initiated a massive immigration enforcement operation. Over 460 illegal immigrants, including those with criminal records, were arrested across multiple states.
In an unprecedented move within the first 33 hours of his presidency, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested over 460 illegal immigrants across various states, fulfilling a key campaign promise by President Donald Trump. These arrests marked the beginning of a new era of aggressive immigration enforcement under his administration.
The operation, conducted between midnight on January 21 and 9 a.m. on January 22, 2017, targeted individuals with criminal records ranging from sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault to drug and weapons offenses, domestic violence, and resisting arrest.
According to Fox News, the arrests were part of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and spanned states such as Illinois, California, Utah, New York, Minnesota, Florida, and Maryland. Among those detained were nationals from various countries, including Afghanistan, Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, Senegal, and El Salvador.
This aggressive crackdown aligns with President Trump’s executive order, which prioritized the deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants, particularly those with criminal records. Trump had vowed to uphold the rule of law by deporting illegal immigrants who pose risks to American society.
The detained individuals were placed under ICE custody pending legal proceedings or deportation. Advocacy groups, however, have raised concerns about the operation, with some labeling the tactics as inhumane and calling for reforms to ensure due process for those arrested.