Trump orders raids on churches, schools, hospitals to fish out illegal immigrants for mass deportation
The administration of newly inaugurated United States President Donald Trump has revoked longstanding protections barring immigration raids on schools, hospitals, churches and other “sensitive areas”.
The announcement on Tuesday arrives as part of Trump’s attempts to fulfil a campaign-trail pledge to launch a campaign of “mass deportation”.
Officials have been prohibited from doing this since 2011.
The administration of newly inaugurated United States President Donald Trump has revoked longstanding protections barring immigration raids on schools, hospitals, churches and other “sensitive areas”.
The announcement on Tuesday arrives as part of Trump’s attempts to fulfil a campaign-trail pledge to launch a campaign of “mass deportation”.
Officials have been prohibited from doing this since 2011.
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Later, the Biden administration expanded the regulation, further restricting the authority’s powers.
According to government estimates, as many as 11 million undocumented people live in the United States, many of them cornerstones in their families and communities.
In the Tuesday’s statement, the Trump administration accused that guidance of serving to “thwart law enforcement” efforts.
It framed the new directive, repealing the protections, as a form of empowerment for immigration agencies.
“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” the statement said. “The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.”
ICE agents will immediately begin nationwide operations to arrest and deport undocumented individuals, as confirmed by Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, who did not disclose where the raids would take place.
“They’re going to do it throughout the country. We have offices throughout the country, and every Ice officer is going to be out there and enforce the law starting tomorrow morning,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
Trump has long conflated irregular migration with criminality. On the campaign trail last year, he repeatedly raised examples like that of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old student who was allegedly murdered by an undocumented person.
He has also used dehumanising language to refer to migrants and asylum seekers.
The second directive reinstates “expedited removal,” allowing US ICE to quickly deport undocumented individuals unable to prove over two years of continuous residence.
