ICE targets 3,000 daily arrests amid California surge

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is reportedly working toward a target of 3,000 daily arrests, a significant increase from the recent average of approximately 2,000. According to reports, leadership has issued verbal instructions to agents nationwide to aim for this daily figure, which would equate to roughly 19,000 arrests per week.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has denied that these figures constitute mandatory quotas, stating that the numerical goal does not mean the agency has already reached that volume. This push comes amid expanding operations and political scrutiny regarding enforcement tactics.

In California, a 45-day surge operation has been launched, reportedly beginning in San Diego with plans to expand toward the San Francisco Bay Area. The advocacy group Immigrants Rising has denounced the operation, claiming agents are targeting individuals at schools, workplaces, and during court appointments. The group highlighted that California is home to approximately 2.9 million undocumented people and noted high levels of local disapproval regarding current enforcement activities.