Incoming Trump Administration Considering Large-Scale Workplace Raids on Undocumented Immigrants
The incoming Trump administration is considering conducting a high-profile raid targeting undocumented immigrants in its initial days, according to three people familiar with the discussions. The raid could target immigrants allegedly living in the U.S. illegally at a workplace in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, said the sources.
The Trump transition team has been asking U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials about resources and logistics to carry out workplace raids, which typically surprise workers at a large employer, arresting those suspected of living in the U.S. and working without authorization. The operation could target businesses in industries such as agriculture, construction, hospitality, and healthcare.
While no final decision has been made on the location or timing, the operation is expected to take place in the first few days of Trump’s presidency, possibly even on Inauguration Day. The discussions suggest the administration is not just focusing on immigrants with criminal histories, but rather making large-scale arrests and deportations, even for those who have committed no crimes besides entering or working in the U.S. illegally.
The Trump transition team has not commented on the matter. Targeting the D.C. metropolitan region could have a “shock and awe” effect, fitting with Trump’s campaign promise to carry out the “largest deportation operation in the history of the United States.”
Workplace raids can be logistically complicated and costly, requiring significant manpower and a lengthy investigation to determine whether a large number of people are working illegally. The U.S. has carried out workplace raids before, but the approach has varied depending on the administration, with the Trump administration planning to return to a more aggressive approach similar to those used under the Bush administration.