Where and how many illegal immigrants were arrested by immigration police in the first week of raids

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained more than 5500 criminal migrants in less than a week. The arrests were the result of a series of raids across the country, writes New York Post. Meanwhile NBC News provides a list of cities where such raids are carried out.

Photo: Martin Brayley | Dreamstime.com

Those arrested included dozens of members of the brutal Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua, as well as several members of the MS-13 gang, at least five "hardened criminals" caught by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and scores of others wanted for murder, kidnapping, child abuse and other crimes.

ICE arrested 23 people on January 956, the highest number of arrests in a single day under the Trump administration to date.

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Since January 23, ICE has been publishing “enforcement reports” daily on Platform X, which include overall arrest data as well as any arrest requests filed — formal requests to hold detainees until they are turned over to immigration authorities.

However, about 52% are classified as “criminal arrests,” according to NBC News. The rest of those detained appear to be nonviolent offenders or people who have committed no crime other than illegally crossing the border. Being in the country without documents is considered a civil infraction, not a criminal offense.

While the Trump administration is portraying the raid as targeting criminals, it is troubling that the detentions are also targeting law-abiding migrants.

As of January 28, 5537 arrests have been made and 4333 arrest requests have been filed.

The White House, which has set a daily quota of at least 75 arrests for each of ICE's 25 regional offices, is also sharing details of some major arrests across the country.

Here are some of those arrested:

• Edgar De La Cruz-Manzo, a Mexican citizen convicted of raping a child, is detained by ICE in Seattle on January 25.
• An unidentified Jordanian national suspected of having ties to the terrorist group ISIS was detained by ICE in Buffalo/Rouses Point on January 24.
• An unidentified MS-13 gang member wanted for murder in El Salvador was detained by ICE in Los Angeles the same day.
• Yared Geremew Mekonnen, an Ethiopian citizen and convicted felon wanted for sexual assault and kidnapping, was arrested in New Orleans on January 24.
• Vitor De Souza-Lima, a Brazilian citizen previously convicted of manslaughter, is arrested by ICE agents in Boston on January 25.
• Juan Ojeda Chang, a 73-year-old Cuban citizen, was arrested by ICE in Baltimore on Jan. 26 on drug trafficking and weapons charges.
• An unidentified Afghan national with an active deportation order and known or suspected ties to a terrorist group was detained by ICE in San Diego on January 27.

Trump's new "border coordinator" Tom Homan said deportations of criminals will be carried out daily until 700 illegal immigrants who have committed crimes are expelled from the country, and sanctuary cities will not be an exception.

He said ICE officials have compiled a "target list" of undocumented immigrants with criminal records whom they intend to arrest and deport, with a focus on those who pose the greatest threat to public safety.

Homan stressed that anyone in the United States illegally is subject to deportation.

The Trump administration is planning to carry out major immigration raids in three U.S. cities on a weekly basis, according to people familiar with the White House's plans. One person called them a "general mobilization."

Such operations began in Chicago on January 23, and in New York on January 28. Three officials said the next operation was scheduled to take place in Aurora, Colorado, on January 30. However, two of them said on January 29 that the Aurora raid had been temporarily called off because of information leaks to the media. One of the sources said the leaks posed a safety risk to the officers involved.

The raids are being conducted in conjunction with ICE, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and other federal agencies.

Raids will take place in three more cities next week.

In a meeting with senior leaders, ICE's 25 field offices were told to ramp up their "normal operations" to meet a quota of 1200 to 1500 arrests a day, the sources said. The quota was first reported by the Washington Post.

Next we will talk about the main cities where arrests took place.

New York

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined immigration enforcement operations in New York City that began Tuesday, January 28.

“We are doing the right thing by delivering on what President @realDonaldTrump promised the American people: keeping our streets safe,” Noem wrote on Platform X.

She later posted a video of the arrest and wrote: "Foreign criminal accused of kidnapping, assault and robbery arrested."

New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued a statement on the matter and confirmed that a suspect in the crimes had been detained in the city.

"Working with federal authorities, we have no qualms about holding violent criminals accountable. That's what we've done for years. Our commitment to protecting the law-abiding citizens of our city — citizens and immigrants alike — remains unwavering," Adams said.

The New York office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) posted several photos of the arrests on the social media site X and noted that it is working with other federal law enforcement agencies on immigration enforcement operations.

Chicago

In the most populous metropolis in the state of Illinois and the third most populous city in the United States, raids to detain migrants took place on January 26.

Homan told NBC News that among those arrested in Chicago, six were already convicted of felonies, two were found guilty of murder and a forcible sex crime, and several were known to be gang members.

The arrests continued on January 27. According to a source familiar with the operation, 10 teams of 10 federal agents each were working in the city.

Chicago is a sanctuary city that protects migrants seeking citizenship. As part of that effort, city police are prohibited from collaborating with immigration agents, NBC Chicago reported.

Mayor Brandon Johnson told X that Chicago police were not involved in ICE's actions.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker told CNN in an interview ahead of the raids that he supports deporting those convicted of violent crimes but disagrees with targeting those who follow the law.

“These people do not create problems in our country, and they have the right to obtain citizenship,” he assured.

Los Angeles

The Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and DEA Los Angeles offices said they are working with partners to conduct law enforcement operations consistent with the Trump administration's immigration policy priorities.

They published photos of agents detaining people.

The Los Angeles City Council late last year formally passed a sanctuary city ordinance that prohibits the use of city resources or personnel to assist federal immigration enforcement operations.

Philadelphia

On January 28, video was captured of several people being detained outside a Philadelphia business.

Immigrant rights group Juntos said it was an ICE raid in which seven people were detained.

As NBC Philadelphia reported, it happened at a car wash in the Juniata Park area.

Phoenix

The DEA's Phoenix office, which released photos of officers in law enforcement vests, said it worked with the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security on Jan. 26.

San Diego

The San Diego DEA also posted photos on X of agents making arrests on January 26.

Denver

On January 26, the DEA Rocky Mountain Division raided a Denver club and arrested "multiple individuals" associated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA).

There were 49 visitors inside at the time of the raid, of whom ICE said at least 41 were in the United States illegally.

Miami

ICE's Miami office said those arrested on Jan. 26 included a Nicaraguan national who was in the Broward County Jail on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, illegal possession of a weapon, shooting in a public place and driving without a license.

In addition, a Jamaican national was arrested on charges of possession of oxycodone, displaying a firearm during the commission of a felony and driving without a valid license.

Homeland Security Investigations in Miami posted photos of agents detaining illegal immigrants on X. The office said the arrests were the result of “excellent collaboration” in enforcing U.S. immigration laws and keeping communities safe.

Atlanta

The DEA's Atlanta office said on Jan. 26 it supported a joint operation between the Justice and Homeland Security departments and other federal law enforcement agencies in their immigration enforcement efforts.

Honduran Wilson Rogelio Velasquez Cruz was arrested at the Iglesia Fuente de Vida church in Tucker, his family told NBC WXIA in Atlanta.

Relatives said agents first came to his home and then to his church. According to his wife, he arrived in the United States in 2022 with her and their three children on a work visa. At the time of his arrest, Cruz was awaiting asylum proceedings and had four years left on his visa. He always wore an immigration GPS tracker, and this was the first time he had been detained since crossing the border.

Various cities in Texas

ICE agents conducted “targeted operations” in North Texas on January 26, specifically in Dallas, Irving, Arlington, Fort Worth and Collin County. They detained about 84 people, ICE told NBC News.

Seattle

The DEA's Seattle office, which posted photos of the two arrests, said on Platform X on Jan. 26 that it was working with the Justice Department and other federal agencies to enforce immigration enforcement.

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San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero commented on the implementation of Trump's immigration order on January 26: "I stand in solidarity with all the families affected by these measures. However, I would like to clarify that at this time I have not received official notification from any federal authorities about the details of the operations being carried out in our city."

He noted that neither the municipal police nor government agencies under San Juan's jurisdiction provide support for these operations.

The mayor said San Juan would provide support and “counseling, citizenship courses and assistance to those who need it to ensure their rights are respected and due process is followed.” Romero tasked the Immigrant Assistance Office with providing the necessary resources.

“Under my administration, San Juan will remain a place where diversity and inclusion are highly valued,” he concluded.

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