President Trump is bezig met wat hij in zijn verkiezingscampagne ‘de grootste deportatie van criminelen in de Verenigde Staten ooit’ noemde. Centraal daarin staat de Immigration and Customs Enforcement – beter bekend als ICE.
De werkwijze van ICE roept veel weerstand op in de VS. Beelden van grote groepen gewapende, vaak gemaskerde agenten die – al dan niet illegale – migranten van straat plukken, zorgden al voor grote protesten.
Maar de klopjacht gaat door. ICE blijft op grote schaal arrestaties uitvoeren. Volgens de meest recente cijfers zitten bijna 60.000 migranten vast.
Eenmaal president maakte Trump direct werk van zijn campagnebeloftes. Het ICE-budget verdrievoudigde: de komende vier jaar krijgt de dienst 45 miljard dollar. Meer dan het budget van alle andere federale opsporingsdiensten bij elkaar. Nieuwe medewerkers krijgen een bonus tot 50.000 dollar, en hun studieschuld wordt deels kwijtgescholden.
Mede door die investeringen nam het aantal arrestaties flink toe. In juni, toen ICE naar enkele grote steden als Los Angeles werd gestuurd, waren het zelfs drie keer zoveel als een jaar eerder.
‘Gewelddadige criminelen’
De opdracht aan ICE: pak zo veel mogelijk ongedocumenteerden op. Dat kunnen migranten zijn die illegaal de grens overstaken, maar ook migranten van wie het visum is verlopen. Volgens de regering-Trump is het doel om ‘gewelddadige criminelen’ van straat te halen.
De ICE-cijfers laten iets anders zien: 29 procent van de mensen die tussen januari en oktober werden gearresteerd, had een strafblad. In 2024, voor Trump president was, was dat nog iets meer dan de helft. Onder Trump worden dus veel meer niet-criminele migranten opgepakt.
Een meerderheid van de Amerikanen vindt dat illegale migranten moeten worden uitgezet. “Toch blijken Amerikanen wel degelijk gevoelig voor de beelden van het harde optreden door ICE”, zegt correspondent Rudy Bouma. “Een meerderheid vindt Trumps methoden te ver gaan en acht het huidige uitzettingsbeleid ‘niet eerlijk’. De stemming in het land lijkt dus enigszins tegenstrijdig: kiezers steunen veelal het doel maar niet Trumps uitvoering.”
Invallen
Veel Amerikanen kijken dan ook negatief naar wat ICE doet: eerst arresteren, dan pas vragen stellen. Daar hebben agenten overigens wel het mandaat voor. Slechts een vermoeden van ontbrekende papieren is genoeg voor een arrestatie.
In de praktijk leidt dit tot etnisch profileren. ICE zoekt naar illegale migranten op plekken waar voornamelijk buitenlanders komen of werken. Ze doen invallen in fabrieken, boerderijen en bij bouwmarkten.
Trump trok daarnaast bepaalde beschermingen in, waardoor migranten nu ook in rechtbanken mogen worden gearresteerd. Illegale migranten die via de rechter een verblijfsvergunning proberen te krijgen, worden hier alsnog opgepakt.
Maar wat gebeurt er met al deze mensen na een arrestatie?
Een arrestant gaat vrijwel direct naar een detentiecentrum. Daar heeft ICE nu al 50.000 bedden, maar door de toegenomen arrestaties is meer celruimte nodig. De regering-Trump wil dat er dit jaar nog 41.000 bedden bij komen.
Sommige arrestanten komen terecht in kleine, lokale cellencomplexen, maar de meesten in grote detentie- en verwerkingscentra in handen van private partijen.
De NOS analyseerde door mensenrechtenadvocaten opgevraagde ICE-gegevens. Hierin staan onder meer gegevens van ruim 150.000 mensen die ICE vasthield tussen januari en juli. Zij werden gedeporteerd, vrijgelaten of zitten nog altijd vast.
In de data zien we een voorbeeld van een man van 24 uit Nicaragua.
Hij kwam legaal de VS binnen met een visum, wanneer is onbekend. De man, zonder strafblad, overschreed zijn visumperiode en werd op 2 juli opgepakt in of rond Los Angeles.
Het verhaal van deze man is niet uniek. Volgens de gegevens van ICE werd bijna 13 procent van de arrestanten tussen januari en juli naar minstens vier verschillende detentiecentra overgebracht. Dat is bijna twee keer zoveel als in dezelfde periode in 2024.
Advocaten en mensenrechtenactivisten vermoeden dat het verplaatsen deel is van de tactiek van ICE: arrestanten worden zo ver mogelijk van familie, advocaten en hulporganisaties gehouden.
Volgens het Detention Watch Network worden de verplaatsingen ingezet als strafmaatregel tegen gedetineerden die te veel verzoeken doen, klagen of bijvoorbeeld in hongerstaking gaan. Het uiteindelijke doel zou zijn om de arrestant te isoleren, en zo onder druk te zetten om ‘vrijwillig’ het land te verlaten, zoals de immigrant uit Nicaragua deed.
Zelfmoordpogingen
Migranten vertellen zorgwekkende verhalen over de omstandigheden in detentiecentra. Mensen worden vaak dagenlang vastgehouden op locaties zonder bedden of douches. Medicatie is vaak niet aanwezig en het aantal meldingen van zelfmoordpogingen neemt toe.
De Californische nieuwssite LA Taco schrijft over Ismael Ayala-Uribe, een Mexicaanse migrant van 39. Bij bezoeken zag zijn moeder hem steeds zieker worden, maar hij zei dat de bewakers niet geloofden dat hij ziek was. Toen hij na enkele weken in zijn cel begon te stuiptrekken, kreeg hij drie keer per dag paracetamol. Hij bleek een abces te hebben, dat ontstoken was geraakt.
Ayala-Uribe overleed in het ziekenhuis. Hij is een van de achttien mensen die dit jaar zijn overleden in ICE-detentiecentra.
1 miljoen deportaties
Ondanks dat het hoge aantal arrestaties zorgt voor capaciteitsproblemen, lijkt het er niet op dat ICE zal afschalen. Stephen Miller, Trumps adviseur op het gebied van migratie, gaf ICE in mei de opdracht om 3000 migranten per dag op te pakken. Intern heeft Trumps regering het doel om dit jaar 1 miljoen mensen uit te zetten.
En het houdt niet op bij illegale migranten. “Trump heeft ook legale migranten hun tijdelijke bescherming ontnomen, zoals migranten uit Venezuela, Haïti, Nicaragua en Honduras”, aldus correspondent Rudy Bouma. “Een federale rechter draaide de maatregel terug voor Haïtianen. Die zijn daardoor alsnog beschermd tot februari volgend jaar.”
EINDE
ICE launches ‘military-style’ raids in Los Angeles: What we know
Los Angeles witnessed a series of coordinated immigration raids by United States law enforcement officials on Friday, resulting in the arrest of dozens and igniting widespread protests.
The raids, which were carried out in a military-style operation, have intensified concerns about the force used by federal immigration officials and the rights of undocumented individuals.
Here is what we know about the raids and the latest on the ground.
What happened in LA?
Federal agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted a series of “immigration enforcement operations” across Los Angeles on Friday morning.
Individuals suspected of “immigration violations and the use of fraudulent documents” were arrested. The arrests were carried out without judicial warrants, according to multiple legal observers and confirmed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), which did not take part in the raids, was called in to quell ensuing protests.
The raids were part of a broader initiative under the Trump administration’s intensified immigration policies.
Which areas were raided?
The raids focused on several locations in downtown LA and its immediate surroundings. These spots are known to have significant migrant populations and labour-intensive industries.
Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), which covers California – home to the US’s largest population of undocumented people – said advocates had recorded enforcement activity at seven sites. This included two Home Depot stores in the Westlake District of Los Angeles, a doughnut shop and the clothing wholesaler, Ambiance Apparel in the Fashion District of downtown Los Angeles.
Other locations in which raids were carried out included day labour centres and one other Ambiance facility near 15th Street and Santa Fe Avenue in south Los Angeles.
How many people have been arrested?
ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) reported the “administrative arrest” of 44 individuals for immigration-related offences.
An administrative arrest, unlike a criminal arrest, refers to detention for civil immigration violations such as overstaying a visa or lacking legal status, and does not require criminal charges. These arrests can result in detention, deportation, temporary re-entry bans and denial of future immigration requests.
Advocates believe the number of arrests made was higher, however. Caleb Soto, of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, told Al Jazeera that between 70 and 80 people had been detained, but only three lawyers have been allowed access to the detention centre where they were being held to provide legal advice.
Soto added that members of the community had effectively been “kidnapped” as officials, wearing masks had not shown warrants or any form of documentation when carrying out arrests.
Additionally, David Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California, was arrested for allegedly obstructing federal agents during the raids. Huerta was reportedly injured during the arrest and received medical treatment at Los Angeles General Medical Center before being taken into custody.
What kinds of raids were these?
What sets these raids apart from typical civil enforcement actions was their military-style execution, experts say.
According to witnesses, legal observers and advocacy groups, federal agents involved in the operations were heavily armed and dressed in tactical gear, with some wearing camouflage and carrying rifles.
Agents arrived in unmarked black SUVs and armoured vehicles and, at certain points, sealed off entire streets around targeted buildings. Drones were reportedly used for surveillance in some areas and access to sites was blocked off with yellow tape, similar to measures which would be taken during a high-threat counterterrorism or drug bust operation.
The ACLU described the show of force as an “oppressive and vile paramilitary operation”. Civil liberties groups said the tactics used had created panic in local communities and may have violated protocols for civil immigration enforcement.
How did protests break out?
As news of the raids spread via social media and through immigrant advocacy networks, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Edward R Roybal Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles, where detainees were being processed.
Demonstrators blocked entrances and exits to the building, chanted slogans and demanded the release of those arrested. Some spray-painted anti-ICE slogans on the building’s exterior walls. Several protesters attempted to physically stop ICE vehicles, leading to confrontations with law enforcement.
LAPD officers issued dispersal orders and warned protesters that they would be subject to arrest if they remained in the area. To enforce the order, officers in riot gear deployed tear gas, pepper spray and “less-lethal munitions”, including firing rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. A citywide tactical alert was also issued, requiring all LAPD officers to remain on duty.
What’s happening now?
Shortly after 7pm on Friday [02:00 GMT Saturday], the LAPD declared the protests to be an “unlawful assembly”, meaning that those who failed to leave the area could be subject to arrest. The declaration appeared to remain in effect until the crowd dispersed later that evening, though no formal end time was publicly announced.
US media outlets and rights groups reported that hundreds of detainees, including children, were held overnight in the basement of the federal building without access to beds, blankets or adequate food and water.
However, an ICE spokesperson told CBS News that the agency “categorically refutes the assertions made by immigration activists in Los Angeles”, stating that it takes its mandate to care for people in custody “seriously”.
The status of all individuals detained remains unclear. While some have been released, others continue to be held and details about their current locations or conditions have not been fully disclosed.
What are the reactions to the raids?
Local and state officials condemned the raids and the manner in which they were conducted.
In a statement shared on X on Friday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said such operations “sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city”.
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statement describing the operations as “cruel” and “chaotic”, adding that they are an attempt “to meet an arbitrary arrest quota”.
All 15 members of the Los Angeles City Council issued a joint statement denouncing the raids.
Some Trump administration officials, on the other hand, defended the actions and criticised local leaders for pushing back. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, for instance, suggested that Mayor Karen Bass was undermining federal law.
END
‘It’s like they’re hunting’: US citizens and legal residents report increase in racial profiling by ICE
In recent months, the amount of people held in detention reached an all-time high. As of 8 January 2026, ICE held 68,990 people in detention, according to data published by the agency. “Anytime you impose a target for a number of arrests and detention, you’re going to encourage the use of unconstitutional shorthands like racial profiling,” Saenz said. “It’s not at all clear that this administration cares whether they’re in compliance with the constitution or not.”
“Allegations that ICE engages in ‘racial profiling’ are disgusting, reckless and categorically FALSE. This type of garbage is contributing to our officers facing a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them,” said Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security’s spokesperson, in an email to the Guardian. “A person’s immigration status makes them a target for enforcement, not their skin color, race or ethnicity. Law enforcement uses ‘reasonable suspicion’ to make arrests, as allowed under the fourth amendment to the US constitution. The supreme court has already vindicated us on this position.”
‘Anybody could snatch him off the street’
Last month, Fernando was driving on a two-way street in Nebraska when he said that he was pulled over by ICE agents in the morning. They told Fernando, a US citizen who is only using his first name out of fear of retaliation, that he fit the description of a Hispanic male whom they were looking for. The four officers interrogated him over the course of an hour, he said.
“As soon as it happened, I kind of laughed it off,” Fernando said. “I was kind of like, ‘This is pretty funny.’ You don’t expect it to happen to you until it does.” But after he gave them his Real ID, he said they became visibly irritated and insinuated that it was fake. A veteran, Fernando shared his name, rank, branch of service and social security number, but he said the officers were unfazed. They demanded that he step out of the car, Fernando said, and as he did so, they threw him to the ground and laid their body weight on top of him. They yelled that he was interfering with an investigation, as Fernando continued to ask what they were looking for. Not long after, he said that the agents stood up, threw his ID to the ground, flipped him off and drove away.
The incident rattled Fernando. He said he becomes anguished whenever he sees a Dodge Durango with tinted windows – the same car that stopped him that day. Now he tries to only travel at night so that he won’t be targeted by agents during the day.
“It feels like a slap in the face. I gave nine years of my life to a country for me to be racially profiled and be questioned about my citizenship. It makes me emotional. It makes me feel like all of that was in vain,” Fernando said. “One of the guys that stopped me was a younger Hispanic guy, and it was like, ‘Hey, we’re supposed to be on the same team. I don’t understand why you would become the aggressor.’”
Over the past few weeks, he said that he’s called the US Department of Homeland Security office in Nebraska or ICE every couple of days to try to report the incident, but that he’s never received a call back. “It makes it a lot more difficult to report,” Fernando said, “than it does to actually try to chase down a ghost.”
In Tampa, Florida, Sara, who is of Persian descent, said that she believes ICE officials followed her because they perceived her as Latina. In March 2025, Sara, a US-born citizen who is using a pseudonym out of fear of being further targeted, said that a white SUV followed her car upwards of 15 times for a month. “It was extremely rattling,” Sara said, “to the point where I carried our passports with us everywhere and then even started to sleep with them. I felt very fearful because of what was going on in Tampa and what it seemed like was racial profiling and me looking like I’m of Hispanic background.”
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LOS ANGELES: BEGIN VAN EEN OPSTAND TEGEN DE
RAZZIA’S VAN TRUMP
PETER STORM
8 JUNI 2025
Los Angeles: begin van opstand tegen de razzia’s van Trump – Egel
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