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Federal immigration authorities are conducting large-scale arrest operations in three U.S. cities each week. Sources say Chicago and New York City were targeted earlier this week. Aurora, Colorado, is next, with operations expected to begin Thursday.
Aurora, located near Denver, was mentioned by former President Trump during his campaign. He claimed the city was negatively impacted by Venezuelan gang activity. Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain maintains that the city is safe.
Sources say Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), along with other federal agencies, are ramping up efforts to detain more immigrants. Field offices nationwide have been instructed to increase routine operations. Teams of federal agents will also be deployed to three cities weekly for larger-scale operations.
Acting ICE Director Caleb Vitello reportedly instructed field offices to increase daily arrests to between 1,200 and 1,500. One source described this as a motivational goal, while another called it a quota that could penalize agents.
This has led to an increase in “collateral arrests,” meaning immigrants without criminal records are also being detained. A senior Trump administration official stated that almost half of the approximately 1,200 people arrested on Sunday were not considered criminal arrests.