The Pentagon has recently deployed approximately 700 Marines to Los Angeles to aid the National Guard's response to ongoing immigration protests. This decision comes amidst a flurry of rapid developments regarding immigration policies as President Donald Trump emphasizes mass deportations as a key domestic priority. The heightened military presence reflects an escalating crackdown on immigration, fuelling increasing anxiety within communities across the nation.
Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff and architect of Trump's immigration strategies, indicated that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should aim to make at least 3,000 arrests per day. This figure represents a significant increase from the average of 656 arrests daily recorded between January 20 and May 19. Miller's ambitious target contributes to growing pressure on immigration detention facilities and accelerates ICE's operations to levels not seen in recent history.
Tensions began to rise in Los Angeles following a series of arrests, spurred by sweeps in the city’s fashion district and a local Home Depot, which collectively pushed the number of immigrant arrests above 100. The situation escalated further when a high-profile union leader was arrested during a protest, accused of obstructing law enforcement. Despite protests from state officials, President Trump ordered the deployment of National Guard troops and Marines to support ICE operations.
Prior to the Los Angeles deployments, ICE intensified its visibility, conducting operations characterized by a significant show of force, including armed officers in tactical gear who deployed flash bangs. A notable incident occurred in San Diego's South Park neighborhood on May 30, where ICE officers engaged in a standoff at a well-known Italian restaurant, leading to four immigration arrests. Meanwhile, in Massachusetts, an 18-year-old high school student was detained by ICE while en route to volleyball practice, raising questions about the rationale behind the arrest. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons justified the action by stating the student was in the country illegally, despite having no criminal record.
ICE's operational challenges have been compounded by a lack of resources. With no additional financial backing and a limited workforce, ICE has begun collaborating with other federal agencies and local law enforcement to meet its detention and deportation targets. The number of 287(g) agreements, which allow local police to enforce federal immigration laws, has drastically increased to around 650 since Trump took office.
Due to a shortage of detention space, ICE is currently facing overcrowding issues, holding approximately 53,500 individuals in facilities that are designed for around 41,000. This situation is approaching the historically high figures recorded in 2019. A pending spending bill in Congress aims to allocate $45 billion to enhance immigration detention capacity to accommodate 100,000 individuals and proposes funding to hire an additional 10,000 ICE personnel.
The recent wave of arrests in Los Angeles provides Trump with a platform to criticize state and local governments that resist cooperating with federal immigration authorities. In California, cooperation is generally limited to cases involving individuals convicted of serious crimes. The White House had previously released a list of over 500 "sanctuary" jurisdictions, although it was later removed from its website in response to public outcry regarding inaccuracies, including pushback from some of its supporters.
Throughout Trump’s time in office, the pace of changes to immigration policies has remained relentless, with notable recent events including the return to the U.S. of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran mistakenly deported and imprisoned without communication, who now faces criminal charges related to human smuggling. At the same time, individuals appearing for immigration hearings nationwide have encountered a wave of arrests, coupled with the implementation of a travel ban affecting individuals from 19 countries.
