Sanctuary Cities Targeted in New Nationwide ICE Immigration Crackdown: ‘No One Is Off the Table’

The Department of Homeland Security is doubling down on its immigration crackdown.

In a post shared on X on Saturday, September 26, DHS announced that “In an effort to protect American citizens, ICE has initiated a nationwide public safety surge in sanctuary cities where our brave officers will be targeting criminal illegal aliens—many released from jails by sanctuary politicians—including murderers, rapists, child predators, and gang members.”

DHS was answering reporter Jennie Taer, who wrote on X, “SCOOP: ICE officers across the country were told this weekend to stop arresting non-criminals, agency sources tell @realDailyWire [.] Now, ICE may only arrest illegal immigrants with criminal convictions or charges for the time being, said the sources. The change also ends so-called ‘collateral arrests,’ sources said, meaning officers who find a criminal target alongside others in the country illegally may detain only the target.”

The agency responded, via social media, stating: “This is false. No one is off the table. We will continue to arrest any and all illegal aliens that come into our path. Anyone in our country illegally will be arrested and deported.”

Sanctuary jurisdictions limit how closely local police work with federal officers. Those singled out by DHS include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, NewsNation reported on Monday, September 28.

The push comes on the heels of a shooting in Austin, Texas, where federal agents fired on Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, a Venezuelan man making DoorDash deliveries from his car. After just a few hours in a hospital, he was discharged and handed over to ICE with the bullet still in his back, per the outlet.

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas was blunt in a statement released September 23. “ICE’s treatment of Wilber amounts to torture. After being shot in the back, he has received next to no medical care — despite being in excruciating pain and losing movement on his left side. He should be in a hospital, not held in isolation at the South Texas Immigration Processing Center,” Castro, 52, said.

Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, federal immigration agents have shot at least 20 people. Seven of them died, per NewsNation. The incidents have fueled protests nationwide, and critics accuse the administration of shielding the agents involved from accountability.

The crackdown has also affected people with unresolved immigration cases. As Globe previously reported, Sister Leticia Ugboaja was detained on her way to a Texas church despite having protection from removal to Nigeria. She was released shortly afterward. And, Oswaldo Pirela, a minor league catching coordinator for the San Diego Padres, was detained by ICE at an El Paso airport while traveling for work. His family disputed DHS’ account of his immigration status. Pirela was released on bond in August and reunited with his family, but his removal proceedings remain pending, per the Associated Press.