Summary
Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, admitted that finding undocumented immigrants with criminal records has been difficult, requiring full ICE teams for field raids.
Arrest numbers, around 14,000 in Trump’s first month, are below the administration’s 1,500-per-day goal.
Homan blamed sanctuary cities for not cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. He vowed to increase enforcement teams and denied mass school or church raids, though ICE may target specific criminals.
The administration has stopped publishing daily arrest figures, despite a drop in immigration arrests since November.
I half suspect that this isn’t actually about it being “hard.” It’s to say they need more allowances. They’re saying them being “nice” with only their current resources isn’t getting the job done as an excuse to expand their scope and capabilities. This isn’t things getting better. This is the precursor to things getting much worse.