The administration of President Donald Trump has said there has been no change in its policy on arresting undocumented immigrants in the United States, clarifying reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had been instructed to stop or limit arrests of immigrants without criminal records.
The clarification came Sunday after reports suggested that ICE officers had been directed to prioritize immigrants accused or convicted of the most serious crimes. The reports reportedly created confusion among some ICE field officers over how the policy should be implemented.
The administration subsequently said that prioritizing people accused or convicted of the “most serious crimes” was an enforcement priority, not a formal change to ICE’s existing arrest policy. Field offices were informed that enforcement operations against undocumented immigrants would continue.
President Trump has also said that ICE can arrest and deport anyone who is in the United States illegally. He has indicated that if other undocumented immigrants are encountered during an enforcement operation, they can also be arrested.
Immigration enforcement has intensified during Trump’s second term, with ICE arrests increasing substantially in recent months. According to an analysis of government data by The Washington Post, ICE detained more than 49,000 immigrants in July, and more than half had no criminal record. The administration, however, has disputed how such figures have been characterized and interpreted.
The intensified immigration crackdown has also fueled continuing political and legal debate across the United States. Immigration rights advocates and attorneys have raised concerns about the methods used to arrest and detain immigrants, while the Trump administration says its primary goals are enforcing immigration laws and protecting public safety.
