U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement leadership ordered agents to increase daily arrests by 1,000, CNN reported, citing two sources. A network analyst said President Donald Trump’s administration is seeking to project resolve on immigration before the midterm elections.
The directive restores an earlier target of 3,000 arrests a day and was sent to ICE agents nationwide, CNN reported. The order came from the administration ahead of the congressional midterms.
CNN analyst Fernanda Magnotta said the goal appears designed to project strength and show progress on immigration, an issue Trump has emphasized since his previous term. She said polling consistently finds that the economy and immigration rank among his supporters’ top concerns.
But views of ICE’s enforcement tactics are more mixed. Magnotta said some Republican and independent voters who backed Trump consider some measures excessive or violent and worry about their effect on public perceptions of safety. In her assessment, the new target signals follow-through on campaign promises while trying to avoid an impression that the administration has gone too far.