These are the federal agencies detaining people across the US – mostly, but not all, under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security
When the Trump administration ordered a surge of armed federal immigration enforcement personnel on to the streets of Minneapolis, the Department of Homeland Security declared it the largest operation in its history and the liberal midwestern city became Donald Trump’s latest chosen hotspot.
Such escalations mark the US president’s agenda of mass arrests and deportations from the US interior. The highest-profile efforts involve officers from multiple agencies rushing to prominent Democratic-led US cities, against local leaders’ wishes. But coast to coast, federal officers have been raiding homes, businesses, commercial parking lots – even schools, hospitals and courthouses. The efforts have delighted the president’s hardcore Make America Great Again voter base, but are also tearing families apart and spreading fear and even death on the streets and in detention.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the biggest cog in the machine and ICE has become an internationally recognized acronym, a growing force and Trump’s most visible anti-immigration operator. This despite officers often wearing masks and refusing to identify themselves. Border patrol is increasingly involved in the crackdown and a variety of other federal agencies have also been drafted into the efforts. The bewildering array of labels, tactical gear and clothing accessories begs scrutiny, even though it is sometimes not possible to identify which agency an individual works for.
