John Oliver Calls ICE Crackdown ‘Driving Up Arrests at All Costs’

(UNITED STATES) John Oliver is taking aim at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, saying the agency is “trying to drive up arrests at all costs” as President Trump pushes a one‑million deportation pledge into high gear.

On his May 14, 2025 episode of Last Week Tonight, Oliver reported that ICE managers have told field offices to hit far higher daily targets: between 1,200 and 1,500 arrests nationwide, with about 75 arrests per office each day. That surge, he argued, marks a break from past claims that the agency would focus first on people with criminal records.

Former ICE director Sarah Saldaña voiced a similar warning, saying that when arrest counts fall short, the “worst‑first” strategy often erodes. She cautioned that local teams may shift to broader sweeps at community locations, including day labor sites, where many undocumented people without criminal histories could be caught up.

ICE and Trump officials defend the push. They cite about 130,000 arrests so far, saying roughly 70% involve people with criminal records or final removal orders. The administration frames the effort as a lawful campaign to execute standing court orders and to respond to cities that limit cooperation with federal agents.

Arrest targets and the shift in priorities

Oliver’s critique centers on quotas. He said managers are pressing field teams to reach about 1,200–1,500 arrests a day nationwide, a volume that would require many offices to meet a 75‑arrests‑per‑day benchmark.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, such numbers point to a system that prizes speed and volume over careful case review. That policy shift matters for families and employers because a broader net often means collateral arrests during targeted operations.

• When officers go to pick up someone with a final order, other people present can also be questioned and detained.
• Advocates say fear then spreads through neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces.
• Oliver also noted the political frame: big arrest totals create a compelling national narrative that aligns with campaign promises and public clashes over sanctuary cities.

ICE has warned of stepped‑up operations where local jails do not honor detainers, using arrest totals to support that posture.

Detention, recruitment, and community impact

In a March 9, 2025 segment, Oliver examined ICE detention centers and pointed to longstanding complaints about facility management, private operators, and treatment of people held for civil immigration cases. Those concerns have deepened with surges in arrests and bookings.

He also mocked the agency’s hiring push, highlighting the removal of age caps and criticizing what he called “gross recruitment ads.” Oliver singled out actor Dean Cain’s announcement that he would join ICE at 59, using the moment to question how far the agency will go to meet staffing needs.

While the administration says enforcement is aimed at people with criminal histories or final orders, advocates report rising fear among mixed‑status families:

• Children changing routes to school
• Workers avoiding clinics
• Landlords receiving calls from tenants afraid of plain‑clothes teams in parking lots
• Legal aid groups seeing spikes in client calls after local operations

ICE points to arrest totals—about 130,000 arrests with nearly 70% classified as involving people with criminal records or final removal orders—to defend heightened activity in cities that limit cooperation with federal agents. Civil rights groups counter that numbers alone can’t explain who is getting swept up, what due process looks like inside detention, or how families cope with sudden separation.

“Aggressive tactics in neighborhoods make witnesses less likely to report crimes and make parents afraid to bring kids to school events.”

Oliver’s critics say his segments ignore the legal basis for removals, noting that courts issue many of the orders and that ICE is carrying out congressionally funded work. But even some former agency leaders, including Saldaña, have warned that political pressure for bigger numbers can change what gets prioritized in the field.

How the enforcement pipeline functions today

Knowing the current enforcement pipeline helps explain why those numbers matter. In many places, officers identify targets through databases and prior court records. Arrests happen at jails, workplaces, and, more often now, public sites. Detainees are then held in ICE facilities while lawyers weigh options or while deportation is scheduled.

Here is the process as reported and described by agency statements:

1. Identification and targeting
   • Field offices set quotas and start with people who have criminal records or final deportation orders.
2. Arrest operations
   • Agents make arrests at jails, workplaces, and increasingly at community locations.
3. Detention
   • People are booked into ICE detention centers, where conditions remain a point of public and legal dispute.
4. Removal proceedings
   • Those with final orders move toward deportation; others may seek counsel, appeal, or pursue relief.
5. Deportation
   • Flights return people to their countries of origin, raising humanitarian and logistical questions.

Practical steps for mixed‑status households

For people in mixed‑status homes, small steps can reduce risk during this period:

• Keep personal documents in a safe place.
• Discuss a plan for school pickups and emergency contacts.
• If an arrest happens, ask for a lawyer and avoid signing papers that aren’t understood.
• Reach out to community groups that can help find legal aid.

Official information and outlook

The official ICE page for Enforcement and Removal Operations provides agency updates and contact details, including field office locations. Readers can consult that page at https://www.ice.gov/ero for statements, notices, and statistics posted by the agency.

Looking ahead, the White House shows no sign of easing the push through 2025. ICE is expected to maintain or even raise arrest goals as it tries to meet the promise of mass removals.

Oliver’s message keeps the focus simple: policy driven by a number will tend to produce more arrests, not better justice. Whether one agrees with him or not, the next few months will test how far the government can push field offices, detention capacity, and courts before the pipeline strains.