• The Trump administration is intensifying its mass deportation operations, describing them as the largest in U.S. history, with over 600 flights conducted since returning to office.
  • A federal judge has temporarily blocked the use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act for deportations, a key legal tool for the administration, though the Supreme Court allowed expedited removals to third countries to resume.
  • ICE enforcement has expanded beyond traditional priorities, targeting workplaces in agriculture and hospitality and focusing on Democratic-run cities like Los Angeles and New York.

A Whole-of-Government Push

Efforts to dramatically accelerate the removal of undocumented immigrants have hit a new level of urgency within the White House, according to people familiar with internal discussions. The administration is deploying what it calls a "whole-of-government approach," redirecting personnel and resources on a massive scale. This includes an order from late April sending over 10,000 armed services members to the border and directing an additional 20,000 officers for deportation enforcement.

Funding is not a constraint. Congress approved a staggering $170.1 billion in new spending for immigration enforcement this past July, a move that has made ICE the highest-funded federal law enforcement agency in history. The financial firepower is being used to expand operational tactics. ICE raids have specifically targeted the U.S. agriculture and hospitality industries, and enforcement has been ramped up in major urban centers including Los Angeles and New York, detaining individuals at routine court check-ins and work sites.

Legal Battles and Operational Shifts

Yet the sweeping initiative faces significant legal friction. A central pillar of the strategy—the use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport individuals with minimal due process—was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in May. The Supreme Court later extended that block, dealing a procedural setback to administration lawyers. However, the Court provided a partial win in a separate June ruling, allowing the government to resume expedited deportations to countries that are not the migrants' places of origin.

The legal challenges have forced some operational adjustments. While the military was initially used to transport deportees via cargo planes, defense officials discontinued this method in early March due to concerns over cost and inefficiency, according to sources familiar with the matter. The administration has also faced criticism for reportedly detaining some individuals at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Broader System Overhaul and Impact

Beyond the deportation flights, the administration is reshaping the entire immigration system. It has ended automatic citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants, paused the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, and instructed immigration judges to close "legally deficient" asylum cases without hearings. The goal, as stated by officials, is to address what they characterize as an "invasion" at the southern border.

The societal impact is profound, creating a "heightened level of fear and uncertainty" within immigrant communities, advocates say. Notably, there have been instances where U.S. citizens have been caught up in arrests, and the President's calls for removing citizens with criminal convictions to El Salvador have been described by legal experts as unprecedented. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on these specific cases.

While the administration's stated ambition of 1 million deportations annually may be logistically difficult, the scale and speed of the current operations suggest its overall impact on the immigration system will be historic. With billions in funding and thousands of personnel now directed to the effort, the push continues even as courts weigh its constitutional limits.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the timing of the Supreme Court's action on the Alien Enemies Act. The Court temporarily extended a lower court's block on its use.