Border Raids: Trump Administration's New Immigration Tactics

New Immigration Strategy Under Trump

Incoming 'border czar' Tom Homan announced on Fox & Friends that the Trump administration will ramp up workplace immigration raids as part of a broader immigration strategy. Homan, the former director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), stated that these raids will focus on addressing labor and sex trafficking. He highlighted the connection between worksites and trafficking victims, asserting, 'Where do we find most victims of sex trafficking and forced labor trafficking? At worksites.'

Critics Challenge Raids

Despite Homan's assertions, advocates have raised concerns about the effectiveness of such tactics. Heidi Altman from the National Immigration Law Center remarked, 'He’s conflating the traffickers with the people being trafficked.' She criticized the administration for using public safety rhetoric to justify actions that separate families. Homan intends to prioritize public safety threats and national security threats in deportation, indicating a troubling focus on immigrants without criminal records, who hold final orders of deportation.

Controversial Claims on Unaccompanied Children

During the interview, Homan claimed that the Biden administration 'has lost over 300,000 children' smuggled into the U.S. by criminal cartels, a reference linked to a disputed claim from previous campaign discussions. A report from the Homeland Security Office of Inspector General indicated that nearly 450,000 unaccompanied children had been released by ICE, raising questions about the management of their cases. Jonathan Beier of the Acacia Center stated, 'This is not a ‘missing kids’ problem; it’s a ‘missing paperwork’ problem.'