President Donald Trump’s mass deportation initiative is set to escalate significantly after the White House reportedly implemented new quotas requiring each U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office to conduct 75 enforcement arrests per day. The directive, first reported by The Washington Post, is expected to drastically increase nationwide ICE arrests from previous levels.
ICE Arrest Quotas and Expected Impact
According to the report, if each of the 25 ICE field offices meets the new quota, the agency would arrest more than 1,800 people daily, compared to an average of:
- 282 per day in September 2024
- 415 per day in 2023
- 24 per day in New York City (2023 average)
Trump’s administration claims to have arrested 2,681 individuals in the first five days of his new term, including nearly 1,000 on Sunday alone. However, reports suggest that New York City has seen relatively few arrests so far.
Enforcement Actions in the New York-New Jersey Area
While comprehensive data for New York City is lacking, there have been several confirmed ICE operations in the New York-New Jersey metro area, including:
- Three arrests at a Newark seafood distributor (Newark Mayor’s Office)
- ICE searches at an apartment building in West New York (ABC 7 surveillance footage)
- Enforcement operations in Asbury Park (Asbury Park Police Department confirmation to Patch)
Despite these actions, there has been no clear confirmation that ICE has significantly ramped up operations in the New York metropolitan area as part of the new directive.
Challenges in Meeting Quotas
Experts warn that the strict enforcement quotas will require a major shift in ICE resources. Scott Mechkowski, a former ICE management program analyst, noted that the biggest obstacle will be detention space:
“No. 1 is bed space,” Mechkowski explained. “The agency would need more detention capacity to accommodate the surge in arrests.”
New York state has an estimated 672,000 undocumented immigrants, including 412,000 in New York City. More than half (52%) have lived in the U.S. for over a decade, according to the Center for Migration Studies.
Who Will ICE Target?
Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan has emphasized that ICE will prioritize criminals and gang members in the mass deportation effort. However, critics argue that the quotas could force officers to arrest non-criminal immigrants to meet targets.
The Washington Post report suggested that Trump is frustrated with ICE’s slow enforcement pace and that managers will be “held accountable” for failing to meet quotas. This raises concerns that ICE officers could expand their targets beyond criminals, affecting a wider pool of undocumented immigrants.
Economic and Political Ramifications
Trump has promised the largest deportation effort in U.S. history, a move that could:
- Cost an estimated $88 billion per year
- Reduce U.S. annual GDP by 4.2% to 6.8% (American Immigration Council report)
This policy has sparked political backlash, particularly in Democratic-led states like New York, where local leaders and advocacy groups are preparing legal challenges and resistance efforts.
Trump’s mass deportation plan is entering a new phase, with ICE arrest quotas dramatically increasing daily enforcement numbers. While officials insist that criminals and gang members are the primary targets, the pressure to meet quotas could lead to wider enforcement actions. As the policy unfolds, cities like New York may see significant legal, economic, and social ramifications in the coming months.
