ICE arrests 956 Sunday as nationwide raids continue
(NewsNation) — During his first week back in office, President Donald Trump's administration carried out nationwide Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. The agency reported 956 arrests on Sunday alone.
That number follows the arrest of roughly 1,300 people by Thursday, according to “border czar” Tom Homan.
The number of arrests in the first three days of Trump’s presidency represents about 1.1% of total arrests made by ICE in FY 2024. Then, there were about 310 average daily arrests. That average is now about 433 per day — a number that will likely grow.
Here's where the operations happened on Sunday.
Chicago
Top Trump administration officials, including “border czar” Tom Homan and the acting deputy attorney general, visited Chicago on Sunday to witness the start of ramped-up immigration enforcement in the nation’s third-largest city.
The DEA’s Chicago office posted pictures on X showing Bove and Homan with agents from ATF and Customs and Border Protection.
Homan told NewsNation's Ali Bradley that multiple "public safety threats" were arrested, including sex offenders, convicted murderers and Tren de Aragua members.
Sources involved told NewsNation that five Tren de Aragua gang members were arrested in the Chicago deportation operations.
The operation comes just days after reports leaked of mass deportation raids planned in the Windy City.
Chicago and state officials, including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, have vowed to protect immigrant communities from mass deportations.
Mayor Brandon Johnson shared on X: "We’ve received reports of ICE enforcement activity in Chicago today. Please know that Chicago police were not involved. My team and I are working closely with City officials."
Denver
ICE took nearly 50 people into custody — including members of the Tren de Aragua gang — in an overnight raid at a "makeshift nightclub," according to an X post from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rocky Mountain Division.
Of the 49 arrested, ICE said “at least” 41 were inside the U.S. illegally.
The DEA, Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and “local partners” seized drugs, weapons and cash in the raid.
The raid was connected to a DEA drug trafficking investigation that began several months before President Donald Trump took office during the Biden Administration, a DEA official told NewsNation local affiliate KDVR reports.
Austin, Texas
A series of ICE raids were conducted in Austin on Sunday, DEA sources confirmed to NewsNation local affiliate KXAN.
“The raids are underway or have been done,” said Sally Sparks, a DEA Houston Division spokesperson, said in a phone call.
In an X post, the Houston DEA Division confirmed the DEA is working with Department of Justice partners, the Department of Homeland Security and other federal law enforcement partners with these efforts.
Protestors gathered at the Texas Capitol that afternoon to object to the raids, with rally attendee Cheryl Flores telling KXAN: “I’m okay with deporting the criminals, but this mass deportation is not what’s happening. It’s just profiling — if you’re not white, you’re not safe. And that’s not okay with me."
New Jersey
Paterson, N.J., Mayor Andre Sayegh told Nexstar's WPIX that ICE agents are in the town.
“We are genuinely concerned. We are a welcoming city. Quite frankly, there has to be an appropriate procedure. If they have a warrant, we understand. If they don’t, people have to know their rights. As a matter of fact, I did get a report today that ICE was in Paterson, not too far from here,” said Mayor Sayegh.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said ICE agents raided a seafood store and detained three people on Thursday, one of which was a U.S. military veteran.
San Jose, Calif.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s office confirmed to Nexstar's KRON that ICE conducted a raid in San Jose on Sunday.
“I sincerely hope that ICE remains focused on enforcement actions related to violent and serious criminals harming our city,” Mahan said. “Not neighbors who are contributing and law-abiding members of our community."
Los Angeles
An post from the Los Angeles DEA Division confirmed that the department "participated in an operation" on Sunday that supported the Justice Department, DHS and other federal law enforcement partners with their "#immigration enforcement efforts."
According to HSI, DEA and ICE official social media accounts, operations also happened in:
NewsNation’s Safia Samee Ali, Damita Menezes and The Associated Press contributed to this report.