By New York Post (Politics) | Created at 2025-01-18 01:21:26 | Updated at 2025-01-18 04:53:37
3 hours ago
The ICE man cometh.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is preparing to launch a “big f–king operation” across sanctuary cities — including Chicago and New York — immediately after President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, multiple sources told The Post.
Starting Jan. 21, multi-day “ground operations” will be launched across cities that have served as safe havens for migrants because the local authorities do not cooperate with the federal government when it comes to immigration issues, sources said.
While it’s not clear who exactly will be targeted, Trump’s incoming border czar Tom Homan has vowed that the mass deportations will begin on Day 1 to focus on illegal immigrants who pose threats to the country.
One source said certain ICE offices have already paused arrests to make room in detention centers for the targets of the upcoming raids.
“We aren’t arresting anyone and bringing them into custody, making room for what may happen next week,” said the source.
The former director of ICE’s Denver office, John Fabbricatore, told The Post that such sweeps were ended under the Biden administration, adding that “the men and women of ICE are looking forward to being able to do their job” again.
In December, Homan told supporters at an event in Chicago that the arrests would start in the Windy City.
“Chicago’s in trouble because your mayor sucks and your governor sucks,” Homan said.
Homan also recently met with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and the two discussed sanctuary cities, deporting alleged criminal migrants and tracking down the more than 320,000 missing migrant children, sources previously told The Post.
The incoming border czar also described Adams’ stance on the issues as a “complete 180” from his previous progressive immigration views.
In an earlier interview with The Post, Homan vowed not to spare sanctuary cities that shield illegal migrant criminals from the feds, threatening potential lawsuits and actions to withhold federal funding from those areas of the country.
But Homan also pledged that ICE under the new admin will make arrests in sanctuary cities on their own, saying, “We’ll wait until they get out of jail, then we’ll go out into the neighborhoods and get them.”
Along with the immediate ICE sweeps, there will likely be quick and sweeping changes at the border.
Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, testified during her Senate confirmation hearing Friday that the Day 1 plans include scrapping the Biden administration’s signature CBP One phone app border entry program.
The app has allowed 936,500 migrants to schedule their border crossings, according to federal data.
