ICE targets 19,000 weekly arrests as Miller becomes chief of staff

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is maintaining a target of 19,000 arrests per week.

Multiple U.S. officials told CBS News that the Department of Homeland Security has not issued orders to reduce enforcement activities following the November 3 elections. The agency sources cited Stephen Miller’s promotion to White House chief of staff as a key indicator of the administration’s continued strategy. This appointment signals that the Trump team intends to sustain its current pace of detentions and deportations.

Recent instructions to ICE officials set the daily arrest goal at approximately 2,700 individuals. This figure represents an increase from a previous benchmark of 2,000 daily arrests. Agency sources confirmed that these targets were established prior to the midterm elections. The officials stated that no new directives have altered these numbers since the votes were counted.

The political context for this steady pace is shifting in Washington. In January, Democratic lawmakers will take control of both the House and the Senate. This change grants the party new powers to investigate the administration’s immigration policies. The incoming congressional majority is expected to launch oversight hearings and issue subpoenas to review enforcement practices.

Despite the electoral shifts, the White House views the Republican losses as primarily driven by economic concerns and the conflict with Iran. Officials said 58% of voters nationwide indicated the deportation crackdown had gone too far, but they believe the economic and affordability issues were the deciding factors in key swing states like Texas.

Lauren Bis, a White House spokeswoman, stated that the administration will not slow its efforts to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens. She noted that illegal border crossings have dropped to historically low levels compared to the tenure of former President Joe Biden. The administration plans to continue its efforts to restrict legal immigration and enforce existing deportation targets.

Miller has held senior roles in the White House for less than two years. During this period, the administration closed the asylum system and suspended refugee admissions. It also tightened access to green cards and expanded arrest operations across the country. Miller has previously proposed suspending habeas corpus for ICE detainees to streamline the process.

Theresa Cardinal Brown, a former immigration official, expects the new Democratic Congress to use subpoenas and hearings to pressure the agency. She also anticipates that some states with new Democratic leaders may reduce local police cooperation with ICE. Houston’s mayor recently directed local police to limit such cooperation following the election.

However, Brown noted that the agency secured $75 billion in funding through 2029 via the One Big Beautiful Bill signed last year. She predicted that President Trump would veto most legislative attempts to restrict enforcement. She concluded that the administration has the financial resources and political will to continue its current operations.

The next scheduled step in this process is the formal transfer of congressional power in January. At that time, the new House and Senate leadership will begin their review of ICE’s spending and operational records.