WASHINGTON – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested dozens of migrants this week outside immigration courthouses in major cities including New York City, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Seattle—a move that immigrant advocates say could fast-track deportations for those recently arrived in the U.S.
The arrests reportedly targeted individuals who have been in the country less than two years, with some detained immediately after judges dismissed their immigration cases. According to attorneys and family members, those arrests may now subject them to expedited removal, a streamlined deportation process that bypasses typical court proceedings.
A senior official from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the operations are part of a broader effort to enforce laws against migrants admitted during the Biden administration, especially those who have not formally applied for asylum.
“ICE is now following the law and placing these illegal aliens in expedited removal, as they always should have been,” the DHS official said.
Among those detained were Geovanni Francisco and his mother, migrants from Guerrero, Mexico, who legally entered the U.S. in 2023 through the CBP One app—a tool introduced under President Biden for managing border appointments. Their immigration case was dismissed Wednesday morning in Phoenix, but both were taken into custody by ICE immediately after, according to family members.
“They didn’t even give them a chance to gather their things,” said Hilda Ramirez, Geovanni’s aunt, who accompanied them to court.
The Biden-era CBP One app allowed many migrants to enter the U.S. legally to await court proceedings. But under the new ICE guidance issued earlier this year, those who were released and have not affirmatively applied for asylum are now considered eligible for expedited removal.
The operations reflect a shift in strategy under former President Donald Trump, now a presidential candidate again, who has vowed to deport record numbers of undocumented immigrants and overhaul immigration enforcement if re-elected.
Legal experts and immigrant rights groups have expressed alarm, saying the courthouse arrests mark a return to more aggressive tactics and may have a chilling effect on migrants’ willingness to attend court hearings.
The ACLU and other advocacy groups are closely monitoring the situation, with some preparing legal challenges to what they view as targeted and punitive enforcement practices.
