As of 28–29 September 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is conducting more arrests than previously reported, shifting from visible 'siege'-style operations to quieter dispersed enforcement at job sites, airports, and neighborhoods. After public backlash forced the Trump administration to modify its approach, ICE operations have become more difficult to track and are reaching more communities.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement attempted to deport a Peruvian national to the Central African Republic on 2026-09-24, violating a federal appeals court ruling from the previous week that explicitly barred third-country removals. A federal judge had to clarify the court's own decision after ICE used technical legal arguments to circumvent it.
A whistleblower who oversaw vetting of Immigration and Customs Enforcement recruits reported that the Trump administration gave officers guns and badges without conducting background checks, credit screenings, or basic vetting during a hiring surge. An official cited an "unprecedented lowering of standards" amid the rapid recruitment effort.
On August 29, 2026, the Trump administration's ICE agency began exploring the purchase of robot dogs as part of its enforcement technology expansion aimed at boosting arrests and deportations. The move comes amid scrutiny over the use of force by immigration authorities.