In the States: Trump’s Deportation Machine Targets Workers, Families, and Legal Residents in Reckless Raids

Washington, D.C – As Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda escalates—workers, legal residents, and longtime community members continue to be targeted. Despite claims that enforcement would be narrow and focused on public safety threats, these raids continue to reveal the truth: Trump’s immigration policy is cruel, chaotic, and indiscriminate. Meanwhile, Trump continues to demand up to $350 billion from Congress to supercharge these efforts through militarized enforcement, invasive surveillance, and government overreach, all at the expense of civil rights and working families.

From Houston to Chicago, families have been caught in the crosshairs. In Texas, ICE swept up 118 people in a majority-Latino neighborhood. In Washington, a mother’s arrest left her teenage son to run their food truck alone. In Arizona, a construction worker who had lived in the U.S. for 24 years was taken outside his home. In New Jersey, a Turkish couple known for feeding the homeless was detained despite having a child with autism. And in Chicago, ICE ambushed a father during school drop-off, terrifying families. Even in courthouses, ICE’s tactics have sparked backlash—Franklin County, Ohio judges recently banned ICE arrests inside courtrooms, citing due process concerns.

Read more about the everyday Americans affected by Trump’s anti-immigrant assault:

(OHIO) The Columbus Dispatch: Franklin County judges ban ICE arrests at courthouse after ‘increased activity’ 

“Courts have a unique Constitutional responsibility to protect due process and access to justice on behalf of the entire public. That mission is jeopardized when victims, witnesses and defendants are afraid to come to the courthouse to testify and participate in ongoing cases, fearing civil arrest and deportation,” the judges said in a release. “That jeopardy affects the fairness of trials and other court proceedings for citizens and non-citizens alike.”

The two rules bar any civil arrests without a judicial warrant — meaning signed by a judge — within the courthouse grounds and prohibit arrests, even if there is a judicial warrant, within courtrooms unless there has been written approval from a Franklin County judge.”

(WASHINGTON) The Spokesman-Review: ‘They thought they were living the American dream’: ICE arrest of Othello woman rattles community as teen son is left to run family’s food truck 

They were videos and photos of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents searching through his mother’s belongings. And then another video of his mother, Micaela Eudave, handcuffed and being led away on Feb. 8.

“All the messages were asking me, ‘Is this your mom?’ ” Gomez-Eudave said. “I didn’t want to believe it.”

Her arrest has alarmed the community in Othello and left her son, Gomez-Eudave, a student at Othello High School, to cope with her absence as he takes on the responsibility of managing their food truck, Tacos Michoacan.

“I thought they were going to pick up people with criminal backgrounds, who would just not be good for society,” Gomez-Eudave said. “My mom’s never done anything wrong.”

(TEXAS) Houston Landing: ‘It’s a lie’: Colony Ridge wife defends detained husband, neighbors after ICE raids community 

In short order, Payán was whisked to ICE detention. The family’s sole breadwinner has not been charged criminally, but cannot work. Meanwhile, his daughter is hospitalized following an amputation, and his granddaughter battles a heart condition.

Payán and Morales, originally from México, have been married for 32 years. His wife described Payán as a hard worker and provider for their family of six. The couple has owned land in the Camino Real subdivision Colony Ridge since 2019 and opened the Payan Tire Shop in 2020, according to Liberty County records.

(NEW JERSEY) Irish Star: Community leaders in New Jersey shocked by the brutal raid and arrest of a Turkish family by ICE

The couple’s eldest son, Muhammed, said, “We’ve been living in this fear for the last 15 years, and we’re tired of it.”

The couple has owned their restaurant for five years and is known for helping the community. They have a sign on their door that reads, ‘Free to anyone with a disability, the homeless, or those who simply cannot afford it.’

“We’re meant to share everything that we have, so what we have is plenty of food, so we try to share everything,” added Muhammed.

(MISSOURI) Hiraan Online: ICE arrests seven at St. Louis Park manufacturing facility

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested seven people Wednesday morning at an aluminum manufacturing facility in St. Louis Park, according to immigrant advocates. 

Three of the seven individuals have been identified by the Immigrant Defense Network, a statewide group of advocacy organizations that provides direct services and legal resources. The organization issued a news release Thursday about the arrests at HardCoat Inc., noting that details about how the arrests were carried out are unknown.

“Generally, in incidents like this that are happening, there is concern about how is ICE getting into particular places,” Perez said. “Are they being welcomed in? Do they have a warrant signed by a judge? Those are like ongoing questions that community members have raised about various incidents.”

(MINNESOTA) Northern News Now: ICE arrests several roofers in Duluth’s Lakeside neighborhood 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested several people in Duluth’s Lakeside neighborhood Thursday morning.

According to a witness, the people who were arrested were working on a roofing project at the time.

(ARIZONA) 12 News: Arizona man speaks after father’s ICE arrest outside home 

Alonzo Zavala Barajas, 23, was born and raised in Arizona, living alongside his parents and sister. “They took a part of me. Just stripped away,” Barajas said. Barajas said his father is a construction worker who’s lived in the U.S. for the past 24 years without legal status. He said ICE agents took his father into custody as he was leaving for work.

(CALIFORNIA) NBC 4 Los Angeles: ICE detains mother and brother of El Monte woman battling cancer

An undocumented mother is now in federal custody along with her undocumented son after ICE detained them, sending shockwaves through a family in El Monte, California.

The family says the mother doesn’t have a criminal background, and she is the primary caretaker for her daughter Xitlali, who is battling cancer. “Ma’ it’s okay. You didn’t do anything,” said the Xitlali, while the mother tearfully responded, ”But they’re going to take me away.”

(ARIZONA) ABC 15 Arizona: ICE arrests Arizona man with legal work permit and active parole status

“Everything was just going right until this happened,” the spouse of the person detained told ABC15. We’re not using her real name or the husband’s name due to safety concerns for the family. “We have a social security number, have a driver license from Arizona.”

After entering the country legally in 2023, the couple obtained legal documents to work and filed for asylum. They started a family and have two young kids. The husband found a job and they were living the American dream.

“He was working so hard to be the support for us,” the wife told ABC15. “I just want him to be back with us.”

(CHICAGO) NBC News: Man arrested during school drop-off in Chicago as ICE continues focus on deportations

A man dropping off two students outside of charter schools in Chicago was arrested by federal immigration authorities this week as part of the Trump administration’s push to carry out mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.

“I think that the majority of the individuals who are being removed are not being charged with violent criminal offenses,” he said, adding that the immigrants who were arrested in Arkansas came from 23 different countries.

(MINNESOTA) The Minnesota Star Tribune: A pattern of ‘collateral’ arrests by ICE: Immigrant released from jail tells his story 

“You think it’s not going to affect you until it does,” said Juan. “I didn’t see myself as having to think about this — I don’t think I had processed it in my head — until I was in handcuffs.”

###

The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.