ICE Touts Highest Worksite Arrests in Agency History

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested more than 1,000 illegal alien workers and have uncovered sufficient evidence of immigration employment violations to justify the proposal of $1 million during the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s administration. Robert Hammer, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations acting Executive Associate Director, says, “This is the highest rate of arrest in HSI’s history.”

Worksite enforcement actions were ended during the Biden administration under the direction of then-Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. In an October 2021 memorandum ordering ICE to cease large-scale immigration worksite enforcement raids, Mayorkas criticized the use of the raids as an enforcement tool {snip}

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In the past two months, under President Trump’s second term, the raids resumed, resulting in the arrest of 1,000 unauthorized workers, the levying of fines, and the seizure of properties and bank accounts. According to ICE Detroit Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey, a civil complaint filed by ICE and the IRS against a Chinese money laundering organization has ordered the multimillion-dollar seizure of 14 properties, seven bank accounts, and 15 vehicles.

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Under federal law, employers are required to verify the identity and employment eligibility of applicants they hire. {snip}

The current Trump administration is employing a whole-of-government approach to enforce the labor laws, deploying several federal law enforcement agencies to carry out the enforcement actions. In some cases, state and local law enforcement authorities are working in unison with the federal effort to stem the employment of illegal aliens and holding the employers accountable for the unlawful activity.

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