Federal immigration officers are operating with a renewed sense of mission under President Donald Trump‘s second term, knowing that “nobody gets a free pass anymore.” This shift in enforcement reflects the administration’s intent to deport large numbers of undocumented immigrants.
On Monday, a dozen officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) gathered before dawn in a Maryland parking lot and then fanned out to the Washington suburbs to find their targets. These included individuals wanted for serious crimes such as homicide, armed robbery, child sexual abuse material possession, and drug and gun convictions, all of whom were in the country illegally.
“The worst go first,” said Matt Elliston, director of ICE’s Baltimore field office, explaining the agency’s enforcement priorities. This approach is similar to the Biden administration’s focus on public safety and national security threats but with a significant change: Under Trump, officers can now make “collateral arrests” of undocumented individuals they encounter while looking for targeted migrants. Under Joe Biden, such arrests were banned.
The Associated Press accompanied the officers, offering a glimpse into how their work has changed. By the end of Monday, ICE had arrested 13 people in Maryland—nine of whom were targets, and four were “collaterals.” Among the collaterals were individuals with serious criminal records, including one with an aggravated theft conviction, another who had already been deported once, and two with final orders of removal.
The Trump administration has also lifted guidelines that restricted ICE from operating at “sensitive locations” such as schools, churches, and hospitals. This decision has raised concerns among migrants and advocates who fear children might be traumatized by seeing their parents arrested at school or that migrants needing medical care might avoid hospitals for fear of arrest. Elliston, however, said that ICE rarely enters such locations, citing only one instance in his 17-year career when he entered a school to help stop an active shooter.
Another significant change is the removal of guidelines that restricted ICE operations at courthouses. Elliston noted that targeted operations remain the norm, with ICE focusing on specific individuals rather than conducting indiscriminate raids. “I really hate the word ‘raids’ because it gives people the wrong impression,” he said. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”
Since Trump took office, ICE’s daily arrests have spiked dramatically, reaching 1,179 on Monday, a significant increase from the average of 311 in the year ending September 30. If sustained, these numbers would mark the highest daily average since ICE began keeping records.
Elliston has been working to dispel rumors and build relationships with local officials and law enforcement agencies in Maryland, a state with many sanctuary cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. He emphasizes that ICE’s goal is to pursue specific individuals, not to conduct random checks.
Despite the increased enforcement, some operations still come up empty. In one instance, ICE officers visited an apartment in Takoma Park but found that the person they were looking for did not live there, likely due to an incorrect address provided during an arrest. Elliston said they will continue to search for these individuals. “Looking for these guys will never stop,” he said.
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