In a high-level closed-door meeting last week, former President Donald Trump’s senior adviser Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pushed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to increase daily arrest targets to 3,000 undocumented immigrants, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Why It Matters
The proposed goal is three times the daily arrest rate during the early days of Trump’s first term, signaling a renewed push for mass deportations. The demand reflects growing pressure from senior Trump officials to take more aggressive action against undocumented immigrants, particularly within U.S. communities far from the southern border.
Although illegal border crossings have recently declined under Trump’s renewed tenure, law enforcement officials say this has shifted operational focus to interior enforcement. At the same time, the administration’s aggressive approach—sometimes sweeping in legal residents and even U.S. citizens—has corresponded with a drop in polling support on immigration issues.
Inside the Meeting
According to four individuals with direct knowledge of the May 21 meeting at ICE headquarters in Washington, D.C., Miller—who serves as a top architect of Trump’s immigration policy and now holds the title of White House Deputy Chief of Staff—delivered stern criticism to senior ICE leadership.
Miller instructed field office directors and enforcement agents to dramatically increase arrest and deportation numbers, citing what he described as a surge of illegal immigration allowed under the Biden administration. Noem reportedly took a more measured tone, seeking feedback from ICE leaders. Corey Lewandowski, a former Trump campaign aide and special government employee, also spoke at the meeting.
Two attendees told Axios that Miller’s tone left the impression that failure to meet the new arrest targets could jeopardize their jobs. A third source said Miller was attempting to motivate staff through forceful rhetoric, not to issue threats. This was not the first time Miller has been described as shouting at Homeland Security officials to increase enforcement activity.
Enforcement Capacity and Congressional Support
According to recent internal data, ICE is currently detaining nearly 49,000 individuals—well above the detention levels funded by Congress. Although the Trump administration has launched several controversial deportation flights in recent months, overall removal numbers remain comparable to the final year of President Biden’s term.
Analysts at the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), a nonpartisan data organization, noted that lower deportation figures at the border reflect a reduction in migration attempts, while removals from within the U.S. interior have increased.
To support broader enforcement efforts, House Republicans last week passed the Trump-backed “Beautify America Act,” which includes $147 billion in additional immigration funding over the next decade. The bill would expand ICE’s personnel, detention beds, and operational capacity.
Expansion and Resistance
ICE has begun formally requesting more staff and resources and has signed agreements to open a limited number of additional detention beds across existing facilities. However, expansion efforts have sparked backlash. In New Jersey, protests over increased detention capacity led to the arrest of Democratic Representative LaMonica McIver, triggering further condemnation from Democratic lawmakers.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson defended the administration’s stance in a statement:
“Fulfilling President Trump’s promise to deport illegal immigrants is something this administration takes seriously. We are committed to removing unlawful entrants from the U.S. in a proactive and effective manner and ensuring our law enforcement agents have the necessary tools. The safety of the American people depends on it.”
Growing Concerns from Advocates
Immigration advocates have raised alarms over the proposed expansion of ICE operations, warning that increased resources could result in more mistaken detentions of legal residents or even U.S. citizens. Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance have publicly pledged to launch the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, with the goal of removing up to 1 million people annually.
Despite stepped-up enforcement in interior communities, border deportations remain low due to reduced migration attempts. That shift underscores a growing emphasis on domestic arrests, a move likely to intensify scrutiny from civil rights groups and immigrant support organizations.
The Road Ahead
With Trump allies seeking sweeping immigration enforcement and congressional Republicans working to provide billions in funding, ICE is facing unprecedented demands. How the agency manages the operational and ethical challenges of executing such a large-scale campaign may define the next phase of U.S. immigration polic
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