The Trump administration is preparing a significant surge in immigration enforcement. Officials have signaled at plans to send a “large contingent” of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to Chicago.
The announcement comes amid escalating operations in several “sanctuary cities” nationwide, municipalities that limit their cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Tom Homan, President Trump’s border czar, provided insight Thursday outside the White House. He stated, “You’re going to see a ramp-up of operations in Chicago, absolutely. You’re going to see a ramp-up of operations in New York. You’re going to see a ramp-up of operations continuing in LA, Portland, Seattle, all these sanctuary cities that refuse to work with ICE.”
Targeting these sanctuary cities is now a clear administration priority. Homan further said, “Sanctuary cities are now our priority. We’re going to flood the zone.” As enforcement efforts are increasing, Homan has previously indicated these targeted pushes are a response to local policies that, in his view, allow public safety threats to be released back into communities, “especially those cities. We’re going to address that.”
He credited local cooperation in certain states with smoother operations: “We don’t have that problem in Texas and Florida, where all the sheriffs are working with us and actually holding people for us and letting us know when someone’s being released.”
Further, Homan addressed reports, citing a recent CNN investigation, that Chicago is poised to become the next major site of immigration enforcement, with federal agents and armored vehicles being deployed in advance of a large-scale operation, potentially as soon as next week.
According to sources, the effort is expected to launch by September 5. The White House differentiated the planned ICE operation from Trump’s earlier remarks about sending in the National Guard to manage crime in Chicago, describing this as a separate immigration enforcement strategy.
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When pressed about logistics and resources, Homan revealed ongoing discussions about expanding operations using military infrastructure: “There’s discussions about that, yes,” he said when asked whether a naval base near Chicago might be utilized for ICE activities. He declined to provide details about the number of agents to be deployed, stating, “We’re not going to tell you how many resources we’re sending… It would be a large contingent.”
Communities subjected to these intensified enforcement actions have already experienced the effects. In Los Angeles, for instance, there has been a noticeable increase in workplace raids and arrests. The surge in activities has been linked to tragic outcomes, including at least two men dying after sustaining injuries while fleeing immigration agents.
This week I visited the sanctuary cities of San Diego, Portland, Seattle, and Tacoma to speak to the men and women of ICE and CBP and let them know that President Trump and I have their six… we will not negligently ignore the laws that Congress has enacted nor will we turn our…
— Thomas D. Homan (@RealTomHoman) August 21, 2025
These incidents have drawn sharp criticism from local leaders. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass specifically condemned the approach, stating, “These reckless, unlawful raids are fueled by racial profiling that has driven fear in communities, tearing families apart, crushing entire sectors of the economy.”
The Trump administration’s aggressive tactics represent a marked escalation of its stance against sanctuary cities and undocumented immigrants. By ramping up enforcement and contemplating the use of federal resources, the administration aims to increase deportations and send a strong message about border security.
JUST IN: Trump border czar Tom Homan: “Sanctuary cities are now our priority. We’re gonna flood the zone.” pic.twitter.com/QYIh1XyW14
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 21, 2025
As Homan reiterated, “Chicago still has a crime problem. So President Trump again made a promise to American people, we’ll make this country safe again. So Chicago has a crime problem. That’s why President Trump’s thinking about it. Ramping up after Labor Day.”
It now remains to be seen how the sanctuary cities’ authorities and residents will deal with the heightened immigration drive that the Trump administration is bringing to their doorstep.
