NEW YORK (AP) — Before dawn, immigration officers waited patiently near a two-story building as the rumble of the New York subway echoed overhead. An officer's voice crackled over the radio during their surveillance, stating, "I think that's Tango," referring to their target, who was spotted wearing a gray hoodie and carrying a backpack. After watching for about two hours, they executed their operation, surrounding and handcuffing the individual, identified as a 23-year-old man from Ecuador convicted of sexual assault against a minor.
Kenneth Genalo, head of Enforcement and Removal Operations for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New York, highlighted the pervasive misconception about how ICE functions. "It’s called targeted enforcement," he explained. "We don’t grab people and then take them to JFK and put them on a plane." With Donald Trump’s return to the White House, there’s renewed interest and scrutiny on his administration’s immigration policies, which include promises of mass deportations.
The realities faced by ICE agents during their operations present significant challenges. With some 1.4 million individuals currently subject to final orders of removal, only about 6,000 ICE officers are available to monitor the growing caseload of individuals listed for deportation. Over the past decade, this number has dramatically increased as the agency’s workload has quadrupled to approximately 7.6 million cases. Jason Houser, former chief of staff at ICE, remarked on the difficulty of meeting deportation goals with existing resources, saying, "You're not going to be able to do both of those with the resources you have, with the deportation officers you have."
The officers operationally prepare before each assignment, gathering before 5 AM to review their targets. On this occasion, they were pursuing two individuals, including the Ecuadorian man previously mentioned and another man from Mexico convicted of forcibly touching a young girl. The officers gathered at a White Castle parking lot for briefings and equipment checks before spotting their target as dawn broke. The identification of individuals often requires significant time due to the necessity of legal authority to arrest.
During the apprehension, the man’s wife was unaware of the events until he called her later from detention. She shared the personal impact of the arrest, noting they had built their life together after meeting in Ecuador, creating a family just as her husband faced potential deportation. The local environment surrounding deportation remains fraught with tension, especially as advocacy groups comment on ICE’s methods. Despite pressures, ICE maintained statistics showing they deported over 270,000 individuals over the past year, marking the highest figures witnessed in the last decade.
Some jurisdictions exhibit resistance to ICE, as many adopted sanctuary policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. New York City previously restricted ICE’s access to local jails. This political dynamic complicates the agency's interactions with local law enforcement as they try to execute their primary objectives. Although Mayor Eric Adams indicated openness to revisiting certain policies, the collaboration is still uneven across the city.
Genalo commented on community safety, questioning the efficacy of sanctuary policies. "How can you state sanctuary policies help the community when you’re releasing all these criminals right back?" he asked. His sentiments echo the broader debate surrounding immigration, particularly how perceptions complicate effective enforcement. Advocates for immigrants argue many individuals targeted for deportation deserve the opportunity to remain, often citing mitigating circumstances surrounding cases.
They express concern about collateral arrests from broader enforcement actions. Jehan Laner, senior staff attorney at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, warns, "We saw them go after everyone," reflecting on ICE’s controversial practices during Trump’s first term, which sparked fear and distrust among immigrant communities.
Immigration advocates believe the incoming administration may once again escalate tactics, exacerbated by inflammatory rhetoric. Looking to the future, Genalo indicates his officers will remain focused on individuals with historical criminal involvement, asserting, "I’m pretty sure we’re going to be tied up for a long time dealing with the criminal population." With both sides entrenched, achieving resources to address all facets of immigration reform remains tenuous.
Advocates and officials alike await changes as Trump resumes office, pushing the debate on the balance between enforcing immigration laws and ensuring community safety. With deportation numbers expected to continue fluctuatively rising, examining the efficacy, ethics, and enforcement strategies will remain central to the national discourse surrounding immigration.
