United States, Jan 31 (V7N) - In a major step under President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration policy, U.S. authorities have begun large-scale raids to detain and deport illegal immigrants. This initiative, which started on January 26, 2025, saw over 950 individuals arrested on the first day alone. By the end of the initial operation, the number of arrests had surged to 2,681, with authorities aiming for around 1,000 arrests per day.

The crackdown is part of the Trump administration's continuous push to remove illegal immigrants from the country, focusing particularly on those with criminal records or who pose a threat to national security. The operation is being coordinated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other federal agencies. This week-long raid targets multiple cities across the U.S., including Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Texas, and Colorado.

Tom Homan, a former acting director of ICE, is overseeing the operation. He praised the beginning of the raids, calling it a significant turning point in tackling illegal immigration. According to Homan, all levels of government agencies are mobilized to ensure these measures are effective in protecting public safety and enforcing immigration laws.

The raids have caused widespread fear, particularly in immigrant communities, leading to disruptions in everyday life. Many families are reporting that they have stopped sending children to school and some adults are staying home from work out of fear of being detained. There are also reports from Chicago that immigrant rights groups have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing the raids of violating constitutional rights, particularly in terms of freedom of speech and protection from unreasonable searches and seizures.

One key part of the raids is the targeting of individuals with student visas who are found to be working illegally in the U.S. Three Bangladeshis were detained for violating the conditions of their student visas, as they had been working regular jobs instead of attending school. Authorities have also reported that they are tracking illegal activities through mobile phone records, which has led to further arrests among those in the U.S. on student visas.

The operation is not limited to large cities but extends to rural areas and even as far as Hawaii, where illegal immigrants have been detained. In some cases, these detainees are being sent back to their home countries immediately after their arrest using military flights, as U.S. detention facilities are already overcrowded with 41,000 detainees.

In a related development, officials have confirmed that the raids have extended to the southern U.S. border. The operation aims to target individuals who crossed the border illegally and have been living in the U.S. without legal documentation. The government is taking a harder stance against those applying for political asylum, with many individuals being sent to Mexico while awaiting their hearing, pending the final decision.

This mass immigration crackdown has been controversial, especially as it disproportionately impacts minority communities. Critics argue that the raids are unnecessarily aggressive and create a climate of fear that affects both legal immigrants and U.S. citizens. While businesses in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods report a decrease in commerce due to the fear of raids, some businesses that rely on undocumented workers are concerned about the economic impact of the crackdown.

In the coming weeks, further raids are expected, and the Trump administration is intensifying its efforts to deport individuals who have already been issued deportation orders. However, it remains unclear how the government will handle the logistical and humanitarian challenges that come with such widespread enforcement actions. The crackdown is likely to fuel ongoing debates about immigration policies and the treatment of immigrants in the United States.

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