The Department of Homeland Security is pushing back on a rumor that spread online Saturday night claiming Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had been told to halt arrests of non-violent illegal migrants.
“This is false,” DHS said in a statement issued just after midnight. The agency said ICE remains focused on a nationwide public safety operation in sanctuary cities.
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. 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.
The rumor took hold quickly Saturday night amid growing pressure on the administration from pro-migration voices within the Republican establishment. Long-time GOP advisor Karl Rove criticized President Trump’s immigration policy during a left-leaning event in Texas that same day.
Business interests have reportedly pushed Trump to scale back ICE operations targeting employers who rely on low-wage illegal labor at hotels, restaurants, gas stations, retail stores and farms. At the same time, Trump has restricted new migrant inflows, and ICE is arresting roughly 50,000 migrants a month. Deportations under his administration have likely surpassed 2 million, and officials have also been reducing reliance on white-collar visa workers.
Fox News reporter Bill Melugin was used by administration officials to knock down the rumor. He wrote that he had spoken with President Trump and nine ICE and DHS sources about the matter.
Yes, this verbal guidance did go out to ICE offices across the country last night. I’ve spoken with ICE agents who received it & were shocked & frustrated by it. It’s unclear who it started with. However, I’m told it’s erroneous, was some type of “miscommunication” during conversations about prioritizing “worst first”, and there is no change in immigration enforcement policy. President Trump tells me anyone in the country illegally remains “on the table” for ICE arrest & deportation. I’m also told new guidance went out to ICE field offices tonight to reaffirm this and that yes, arrests of illegal aliens and “collaterals” without additional criminal history will continue. ICE sources confirm to me they received the new guidance.
Melugin added: “I’m not really sure what happened here – but everyone is on the same page, including President Trump, in telling me that his immigration enforcement agenda isn’t scaling back.”
As the rumor circulated, Trump used his social media account to criticize Rep. Maria Salazar, a Republican who has been working with pro-migration lawmakers on a corporate immigration measure expected to be taken up during the lame-duck session after the election.
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