A week-long immigration enforcement operation in Houston resulted in the arrest of more than 400 undocumented migrants, according to a report from Fox News.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detained a total of 422 individuals living in the country illegally, aligning with the Trump administration’s push to increase deportations.
The operation was particularly focused on high-risk individuals, with ICE identifying those considered especially dangerous.
One notable case highlighted was that of an undocumented migrant sought in Colombia for murder and previously sentenced to 21 years in prison.
The migrant entered the United States illegally in February of 2024, received a court date for an immigration hearing, but failed to appear.
As a result, an immigration judge ordered his removal from the United States in March of this year, as mentioned by ICE Houston Director Bret Bradford.
The enforcement effort was part of a broader strategy that underscored the administration’s commitment to deporting individuals with criminal records.
According to ICE, of the 422 arrested, 262 had been convicted of crimes, while an additional 126 faced other immigration violations.
Furthermore, 229 of the apprehended individuals had already been ordered by a judge to be deported but had yet to leave the U.S.
Among those detained was 29-year-old Honduran national Junior Alejandro Chan Lopez, arrested for charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
In an effort to make deportations more efficient, Director Bradford revealed plans to streamline the deportation process.
Federal immigration authorities are looking to adopt a method similar to a “hub and spoke” model to expedite removals.
This would allow ICE to arrest an individual in the morning, process them in the afternoon, and potentially have them on a removal flight by evening.
Such efficiency is intended to reduce taxpayer costs while speeding up the removal of individuals from the country.
The Trump administration has aggressively employed military, government agencies, and local law enforcement in its immigration policies.
However, the approach has drawn legal challenges, with advocacy group “Make the Road New York” currently suing the Trump administration over the expansion of fast-track deportations.
The lawsuit states that the decision to broaden expedited removal measures to a wide range of noncitizens nationwide undermines decades of established practices.
The complaint cites evidence that even the expedited removal process at borders has been found to have numerous errors and has led to significant violations of individuals’ legal rights.
The case is still making its way through the courts, reflecting ongoing tensions in U.S. immigration policy.
Moreover, the House Judiciary Committee has advanced a budget reconciliation bill that allocates nearly $80 billion for immigration enforcement.
This funding includes substantial resources for ICE operations and the construction of border barriers, while also imposing new fees on humanitarian protections.
If enacted, this budget bill would represent the largest funding increase in ICE’s history, significantly bolstering the agency’s enforcement capabilities.
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