Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• DHS launches "Midway Blitz" immigration enforcement operation in Illinois — The Trump administration and Department of Homeland Security launched an operation called "Midway Blitz" targeting immigrants in Illinois, citing Governor Pritzker's sanctuary policies as justification. The operation significantly increased federal enforcement presence in the Chicago area. DHS instructed ICE to arrest at least 3,000 people daily nationwide, and recent court filings claim US citizens have been wrongfully rounded up during these operations.
• Trump administration launches Operation Midway Blitz immigration enforcement in Chicago — The Trump administration conducted a major immigration enforcement operation dubbed "Operation Midway Blitz" in Chicago, targeting undocumented immigrants for arrest and deportation. The operation involved ICE agents conducting raids, detaining hundreds of people at the Broadview immigration processing centre in squalid conditions, and using force against protesters. Trump threatened to deploy the National Guard to the city and referenced the operation during a eulogy for Charlie Kirk, a rightwing organizer killed in September.

Supporting reports

• ICE agents arrest immigrants outside court hearings — Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are routinely arresting immigrants outside their court hearings, according to retired immigration judge Dana Leigh Marks. She characterized the conduct as agents "acting like the Gestapo" and described courthouses as being turned into "traps where Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents scoop up immigrants to meet deportation quotas."

Supporting reports

• ICE detention of immigrants without criminal records surpasses those with records — According to government data released by ICE on September 26, 2025, 16,523 people with no criminal history are now in immigration detention, exceeding the 15,725 with criminal records and 13,767 with pending charges. This marks the first time under the second Trump administration that non-criminal immigrants constitute the largest group in ICE custody. The Trump administration has directed ICE to arrest approximately 3,000 people per day as part of its mass deportation campaign, resulting in increased "collateral arrests" of people with no criminal history.

Supporting reports

• ICE detains superintendent of Iowa's largest school district — Ian Roberts, superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools since July 2023, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on September 26, 2025, after agents identified him in his vehicle during a targeted enforcement operation. DHS stated Roberts had a final removal order from May 2024 and no work authorization. Roberts, born in Guyana and a former Olympic athlete, entered the U.S. on a student visa in 1999. The district board chair and education unions expressed shock, noting Roberts had been granted a superintendent license by the state in 2023 and questioning ICE's immigration claims.

Supporting reports

• Green card holder sues ICE over violent detention and assault in Massachusetts — Hilda Ramirez Sanan, a US green card holder with 20+ years residency, and her two US citizen children filed a lawsuit against ICE alleging illegal and violent detention on 26 September 2025 in Chelsea, Massachusetts. The lawsuit claims ICE officers surrounded their vehicle without identification, shattered windows with glass striking the family, forcibly arrested Ramirez Sanan by twisting her arms, kicking her, and slamming her face-first to the ground in front of her children. Officers also forcibly removed her 13-year-old autistic son from the car and threatened him with arrest. Ramirez Sanan was hospitalized with a concussion, bruising, and nerve damage. The lawsuit seeks $1 million in damages.

Supporting reports

• UK tourist Karen Newton detained by ICE for six weeks despite holding valid visa — Karen Newton, a 65-year-old British retiree with a valid B2 tourist visa, was detained by ICE for 42 days after being turned back at the US-Canada border in late September 2025. She was shackled, transported to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, and held in a cell where she slept on the floor for a month. ICE claimed she was "guilty by association" with her husband, whose visa had expired. She was eventually released on 6 November 2025 after signing a self-removal agreement. Guards told her that ICE officers receive bonuses for each person detained.
• British tourist Karen Newton detained for six weeks despite valid visa — Karen Newton, a 65-year-old British citizen with a valid tourist visa, was detained by US immigration authorities for six weeks after being turned back at the US-Canada border in late September 2025. She and her husband were shackled at wrists, waist, and ankles, held in cells without beds, and transported 12 hours to an ICE detention facility. Upon release, her car battery was dead, houseplants were dead, bills unpaid, credit score damaged, and luggage confiscated and never returned. Another British tourist, Rebecca Burke, was detained for 19 days and warned others not to visit the US under Trump.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration dismantles civil rights and detention oversight offices — The Trump administration dismantled the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) and the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO), two federal offices that provided oversight of healthcare and other conditions in immigration detention facilities. The removal of these oversight bodies occurred concurrently with expanded ICE detention practices and reduced bond availability for detainees.

Supporting reports

• Mexican man Silverio Villegas-González shot and killed by ICE agent in Illinois traffic stop — Two weeks prior to the Dallas shooting, Mexican national Silverio Villegas-González was shot and killed by an ICE agent following an attempted traffic stop in Illinois. ICE officials stated the shooting occurred after Villegas-González attempted to evade arrest and dragged an agent a "significant distance" in his car. His family has demanded greater transparency regarding the circumstances of his death, raising concerns about accountability and the use of lethal force in immigration enforcement.

Supporting reports

• ICE officer pushes woman to ground at New York immigration court — An ICE officer physically assaulted Monica Moreta-Galarza, a woman pleading for the release of her detained husband from Ecuador, by pushing her across a hallway and onto the floor at 26 Federal Plaza immigration court in Manhattan on September 25, 2025. Video of the incident spread on social media. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated the officer's actions were "unacceptable" and announced he was being "relieved of his duties" pending a full investigation. Democratic officials Dan Goldman and Brad Lander referred the case to US Attorney General Pam Bondi for potential felony prosecution.

Supporting reports

• Trump announces planned executive order to dismantle "domestic terrorism networks" in response to ICE facility shooting — Following the Dallas ICE facility shooting, President Trump posted on social media characterizing the incident as an attack by "Radical Left Terrorists" and blamed "radical left Democrats" for anti-ICE rhetoric. Trump announced he would sign an executive order "this week to dismantle these Domestic Terrorism Networks," referencing ANTIFA, which he stated had already been declared a terrorist organization. Law enforcement officials stated there was no indication the shooter had any connection to any organizations, including antifa.
• ICE facility shooting in Dallas; political responses diverge on cause and victims — A shooting at a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Dallas killed one detainee and wounded two others. The shooter died by self-inflicted gunshot. The DHS confirmed detainees were the victims. Trump, Vance, Noem, and Abbott blamed the "radical left" and anti-ICE rhetoric for the attack, while Democrats focused on the victims being detainees, called for gun control, and accused Republicans of politicizing the incident for partisan gain. The FBI recovered shell casings with "anti-ICE messaging" but said the investigation was ongoing and the motive had not been confirmed.
• Shooting at Dallas ICE facility kills one detainee, injures two others; shooter dies by self-inflicted gunshot — A suspect opened fire at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Dallas on the morning of September 24, killing one detainee and injuring two others who were in critical condition. The shooter, identified as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Shell casings recovered at the scene bore anti-ICE messaging. The FBI is investigating the incident as an act of targeted violence. No law enforcement officers were injured.
• Shooting at ICE detention facility in Dallas; suspect killed one detainee and wounded two others — On September 24, 2025, a 29-year-old suspect, Joshua Jahn, opened fire from a rooftop at an ICE detention facility in Dallas, Texas, killing one ICE detainee inside a transportation van and critically wounding two others. Authorities found detailed planning notes at his residence expressing anti-ICE sentiment and intent to maximize lethality against ICE personnel. The suspect used ICE tracking apps to monitor federal agents and legally obtained his firearm in August. He died by suicide at the scene. The FBI characterized the attack as involving "high degree of planning."
• Shooting death of detainee at ICE facility in Dallas; widow speaks out — Miguel García-Hernández, 31, an undocumented immigrant detained by ICE in Dallas on 24 September 2025, was shot and killed when a gunman opened fire outside the ICE field office where he was awaiting intake in a government van. He died on 29 September from his gunshot wounds. His widow, Stephany Gauffeny, reported he was restrained to a hospital bed with handcuffs on his feet as he lay dying. She attributes the shooting to rising political violence and anti-immigration rhetoric under the Trump administration. García-Hernández had been seeking legal status through a Biden-era family reunification program that was blocked by a federal judge.
• Shooting at Dallas ICE facility kills one detainee, wounds two others — A gunman fired at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Dallas on September 24, killing one detainee and critically wounding two others before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Law enforcement recovered shell casings with "anti-ICE messaging" near the shooter, identified as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn. No federal agents were injured. The incident occurred at a facility used for short-term processing of people in custody along Interstate 35 East.
• ICE reports 700% increase in assaults from "activists masquerading as immigrant advocates" — ICE officials claim a 700% increase in assaults from what they characterize as "activists masquerading as immigrant advocates," citing incidents including vehicle ramming (July 2), armed attack on Prairieland detention center (July 4), and shooting at CBP facility in McAllen (July). The FBI offered a $25,000 reward for Benjamin Hanil Song, a former marine reservist, in connection with the Alvarado attack. However, counter-narratives document ICE and CBP agents engaging in rough and sometimes violent tactics against detainees and protesters, including masked agents smashing car windows and detaining US citizens based on appearance.
• Shooting at ICE detention facility in Dallas; detainee killed, two wounded, shooter deceased — An unidentified shooter fired on an ICE detention center near Dallas Love Field airport from a nearby roof on Wednesday, killing one detainee and wounding two others before taking his own life. An "anti-ICE" message was found on a bullet at the scene. FBI Director Kash Patel and Trump administration officials quickly attributed the attack to "radical left terrorists," while the incident occurred amid a documented spike in violence targeting immigration enforcement facilities and reported aggressive ICE tactics against detainees and protesters.
• Trump and NRCC attribute ICE shooting to "radical left terrorists" and Democratic rhetoric — Following the Dallas ICE facility shooting, President Trump and the National Republican Congressional Committee issued statements attributing the attack to "radical left terrorists" and blaming Democratic rhetoric for demonizing ICE agents. NRCC spokesperson Mike Marinella claimed "radical Democrats" have been escalating rhetoric against law enforcement, drawing a parallel to recent violence against rightwing figures despite senior Democrats condemning political violence generally.

Supporting reports

• ICE opens immigration detention center at Angola prison; detainees begin hunger strike over medical care denial — The Trump administration opened an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing center within Louisiana's Angola state penitentiary, converting the former Camp J facility. On September 22, 2025, nineteen detainees entered a hunger strike demanding access to medical and mental health care, prescription medications, basic hygiene supplies, and clean drinking water. Advocates report chronic health conditions are untreated and federal detention standards are violated. The facility, rebranded "the Louisiana Lockup" or "Camp 57," has a documented history of abuse and unsafe conditions.

Supporting reports

• US appeals court orders deportation of Atlanta journalist Mario Guevara — An immigration appeals court closed the case of Mario Guevara, an Atlanta-based journalist detained by ICE, and ordered his removal from the United States. Guevara, an El Salvador native who has lived in the US for over 20 years, was arrested at a protest in June on charges that were dropped. Despite an immigration judge's initial bond order and his pending green card application and work permit, ICE pursued deportation. The ACLU filed an emergency petition and habeas corpus appeal seeking relief.

Supporting reports

• New York lawmakers and activists arrested blocking ICE access to federal building — On September 19, 2025, at least 70 demonstrators, including 11 elected officials, were arrested during protests at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in lower Manhattan. Protesters blocked the underground garage used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to transport detainees. Inside the building, elected officials including NYC Comptroller Brad Lander and state senators demanded access to the ICE intake facility on the 10th floor to inspect conditions. Federal and local police arrested 71 people total; the 11 officials were charged with federal misdemeanors for blocking corridors and released pending court appearance.

Supporting reports

• ICE detainee dies in Nassau County jail custody — A 42-year-old man arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement died in a cell at Nassau County Correctional Center in East Meadow, New York, on Thursday morning. He was found unresponsive at approximately 6:30 a.m. Nassau County officials confirmed the death but declined to provide details, citing an ongoing investigation. The New York State Attorney General's office is conducting a preliminary assessment. This marks the first ICE detainee death in Nassau County custody since the county began housing ICE detainees in February 2025 under a partnership agreement.

Supporting reports

• DHS arrests NYC elected officials conducting immigration oversight — Agents from the Department of Homeland Security arrested New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams along with ten other city and state elected officials near federal immigration courts when they attempted to conduct oversight of people detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the building.
• DHS Arrests Elected Officials Conducting Oversight — Agents from the Department of Homeland Security arrested New York City comptroller Brad Lander, public advocate Jumaane Williams, and ten other city and state elected officials while they were attempting to conduct oversight of detainees at federal immigration courts. This action raises concerns about the government's treatment of oversight and accountability in immigration enforcement.
• Brad Lander trial on arrest during immigration detention facility inspection — Brad Lander, former New York City comptroller, stood trial on June 10–11, 2026, for allegedly blocking an elevator at 26 Federal Plaza during a September 18, 2025 attempt to inspect ICE detention hold rooms. Lander and ten other elected officials sought access to review conditions after a federal judge had ordered improvements following overcrowding complaints. When denied inspection access, they sat chanting; Federal Protective Service officers arrested them. Lander's defense argued the arrest exemplified suppression of political dissent; prosecutors focused narrowly on elevator obstruction. The judge was to issue a verdict on June 12.

Supporting reports

• ICE detention facility in Dilley, Texas documented with allegations of inhumane conditions for detained immigrant families — Legal monitoring groups filed a court document on September 15, 2025, detailing conditions at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, operated by CoreCivic for ICE. The filing alleges prolonged detention beyond the 20-day legal limit, lack of clean drinking water, chronic sleep deprivation, inadequate medical care, insufficient hygiene products, emotional abuse, poor education, and self-harm among children. Families have been held for weeks to months in what monitors describe as a "prison-like environment" with "cell-like trailers."

Supporting reports

• Department of Homeland Security announces plan to intensify immigration enforcement in Los Angeles — Following the Supreme Court ruling, the Department of Homeland Security publicly vowed to "flood the zone in Los Angeles" with immigration enforcement operations. The announcement signals an escalation of raids targeting day laborers and immigrant workers in vulnerable neighborhoods, particularly in areas like Westlake where workers gather seeking employment. The statement emboldened federal agents to conduct more aggressive enforcement despite the economic and social devastation already inflicted on immigrant communities.

Supporting reports

• Deputy Secretary of State suggested stripping visas from Kirk death celebrants — Christopher Landau, deputy secretary of state, suggested the administration would strip visas from individuals who celebrated Charlie Kirk's death, signaling use of immigration enforcement as a tool for political retaliation.
• Secretary of State Rubio threatens visa revocation for Kirk critics — Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from Jerusalem on Monday, reiterated threats to revoke visas for foreign nationals who "celebrate" Charlie Kirk's killing or engage in "negative and destructive behavior." Rubio's deputy, Chris Landau, previously instructed consular officers to undertake "appropriate action" when assessing visas for anyone "praising, rationalizing, or making light of" Kirk's death.

Supporting reports

• ICE conducted raid on Hyundai plant in Georgia with unclear legal authority — ICE conducted a raid on a Hyundai-LG battery factory in Georgia, initially targeting four Hispanic workers but ultimately detaining Korean workers holding valid B1 business visas. Immigration lawyers questioned the legality of the operation, noting the warrant was for Hispanic workers but ICE "just transported everybody to the jail to sort it out later." The B1 visa guidance left unclear whether the workers' activities constituted legal consulting.
• ICE raid on Hyundai plant was operational mistake due to inexperienced agents — Labor policy analyst Sam Peak reported that the ICE raid on a Hyundai plant, which resulted in the arrest of hundreds of legally authorized Korean workers and became the largest raid in U.S. history, was an operational mistake. Peak attributed the error to agents lacking worksite enforcement experience, having previously worked on counter-terrorism and child sex trafficking cases. These agents were reassigned to low-priority immigration enforcement to boost the administration's deportation numbers, causing deprioritization of terror threat investigations, child trafficking cases, and other transnational crimes.
• Immigration raid in Georgia arrested Korean workers to meet quotas — Officials who conducted a raid on a Hyundai plant in Georgia, which sparked an international uproar after U.S. officials arrested more than 300 Korean workers, possessed a warrant to search for four people from Mexico. According to reporting, once officials were at the facility, they decided to arrest South Korean workers in order to meet quotas established by White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.

Supporting reports

• Korean workers detained by ICE reported mistreatment and coercion — A repatriated Korean worker from the Hyundai-LG battery factory wrote a detention diary describing a seven-day ICE custody experience in Georgia. Workers reported being mocked with references to "North Korea" and "Rocket Man" despite holding valid business visas. They were housed in a 72-person room with four shared toilets, two urinals, moldy mattresses, and bad-smelling water. Korean Consulate officials told detainees to "sign whatever they ask you to sign unconditionally" and warned that disputes could result in detention for 4 months to several years.

Supporting reports

• ICE officers fatally shoot undocumented immigrant during vehicle stop near Chicago — US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers conducted a vehicle stop on Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, an undocumented immigrant, in Franklin Park, Illinois, west of Chicago. According to ICE, Villegas-Gonzalez resisted arrest and attempted to drive his vehicle into officers, striking and dragging one. An officer discharged his firearm, fatally wounding Villegas-Gonzalez. The injured officer was hospitalized in stable condition. The incident occurred amid a broader ICE enforcement surge in the Chicago area as part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

Supporting reports

• ICE raids across Los Angeles targeting immigrants and perceived immigrants — During summer 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted military-style raids across Los Angeles, detaining gardeners, car wash workers, veterans, and U.S. citizens. The article documents survivors of prior xenophobic eras—Mexican repatriation (1930s), Chinese Exclusion (1882–1943), Japanese American incarceration (1942–1945), and farm worker exploitation—drawing parallels between historical and contemporary immigration enforcement. The Trump administration has also broadcast raids and run commercials encouraging "self-deportation."

Supporting reports

• ICE agents shoot and kill Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez during traffic stop in Franklin Park, Illinois — Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents initiated a traffic stop of Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, a Mexican national and cook, in Franklin Park, Illinois on Friday. During the encounter near a school, agents shot and killed Villegas-Gonzalez. DHS claimed he resisted arrest and dragged an officer with his car; surveillance video shows him backing up and driving forward as agents pulled on his door. After the shooting, agents broke the car window and removed his body. Illinois lawmakers, including US Representative Delia Ramirez and Governor JB Pritzker, called for a full investigation, stating the incident exemplifies violence from Trump's deportation campaign.

Supporting reports

• ICE detains William Alberto Gimenez Gonzalez at barber shop during Operation Midway Blitz — ICE agents detained William Alberto Gimenez Gonzalez at a barber shop in Chicago on Friday as part of Operation Midway Blitz, an ICE enforcement campaign. The Latino Union of Chicago expressed concern that Gimenez may have been targeted for his involvement in a lawsuit against Home Depot and off-duty Chicago police officers over physical assaults and detention of recently arrived immigrants documented in a 2024 City Bureau investigation.

Supporting reports

• Immigration judge orders deportation of pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil — An immigration judge in Louisiana ordered the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian protest leader and legal permanent resident, citing alleged misrepresentation of facts on his green card application. The judge found willful misrepresentation rather than oversight. Khalil's lawyers announced they would appeal and noted that a separate federal district court order prohibits his immediate removal while his civil rights case proceeds. Khalil characterized the order as retaliation for his exercise of free speech.