Breaking: Major Immigration Raids Begin in Washington, D.C. Today

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) Federal immigration raids expanded across the United States 🇺🇸 on Monday, with stepped-up operations reported in Washington, D.C., as the Trump administration accelerates arrests and removals under its second-term enforcement drive. Senior officials set an internal target of up to 3,000 arrests per day, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement is carrying out broader sweeps that include many people without criminal records. The White House defends the push as a return to strict enforcement, while legal groups and city leaders warn that the tactics raise constitutional questions and spread fear in immigrant neighborhoods.

ICE arrested more than 66,000 individuals in the first 100 days of President Trump’s second term, according to agency figures shared with stakeholders. VisaVerge.com reports that about 65% of those detained had no criminal convictions, and only about 7–8.5% had violent crime convictions—a shift from prior focuses on people deemed public safety threats. Community groups say the new approach reaches parents, workers, and students with long ties to local schools and churches, including in Washington, D.C.

In the nation’s capital, recent immigration raids have unfolded at homes, job sites, and community gathering spots. Witnesses describe early-morning door knocks, plainclothes teams, and unmarked vans. City-based legal networks say they have logged a sharp rise in calls from families seeking to locate relatives and secure emergency childcare after arrests. Several workplaces, including restaurants and small contractors, temporarily closed after multiple staff detentions, adding economic strain to neighborhoods already working through tight labor markets.

Escalation and court battles

The administration is pressing the Supreme Court to allow broader field stops by immigration agents, asking it to block a federal judge’s order in Los Angeles and central California that limits stops without reasonable suspicion. Homeland security leaders argue that tighter rules on stops and questioning harm ICE’s ability to carry out its mission. Civil rights attorneys counter that the Fourth Amendment bars warrantless searches and arrests that lack specific, articulable facts. The outcome will shape how far agents can go during immigration raids, including operations in Washington, D.C.

ICE’s approach has sparked debate over tactics. Community advocates and defense attorneys report agents wearing face coverings and clothing without clear agency markings during some operations, which they say makes it hard for residents to tell if the encounter is official. Immigration lawyers stress that people have the right to remain silent and to ask officers to slide any paperwork under the door.

“People have the right to remain silent and to ask officers to slide any paperwork under the door.”

Muzaffar Chishti of the Migration Policy Institute points to core constitutional limits on home entries without a judicial warrant and predicts continued litigation against aggressive field practices.

Policy choices at the top appear to be driving the pace. Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem are described by administration allies as key architects of the expanded enforcement posture. The White House is also backing a reconciliation package dubbed the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” that would add money for detention beds, hire more ICE personnel, and invest in surveillance tools. If enacted, it would lock in the current enforcement scale and give the agency broader capacity for future operations.

Advocates say the enforcement surge has also touched people with pending relief or special protection. Detainees with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) have reported arrests despite meeting program rules, according to attorneys who assist those cases, raising questions about how field teams verify status during fast-moving operations. There are also reports that officials explored expanding detention space, including potential use of facilities outside the continental U.S., though the administration has not publicly detailed those contingency plans. ICE says its priority remains those who pose threats, but the arrest data reflect a much wider net.

Typical raid sequence (as described by lawyers and community groups)

Below is a typical sequence described by lawyers and community groups when ICE conducts a raid. Individual cases vary, and outcomes depend on a person’s history and available defenses.

1. Identification and targeting
   • Teams assemble lists from data-sharing with motor vehicle departments, past immigration records, and employer audits.
   • Field officers may also act on tips.
2. Execution of operations
   • Agents arrive at homes, job sites, or public spaces, often early in the morning.
   • Some operations use unmarked vehicles and plainclothes teams to reduce notice.
3. Arrest and transport
   • Those taken into custody are processed and moved to detention.
   • Capacity has recently grown, making it easier to hold people while cases move forward.
4. Legal processing
   • Individuals may face expedited removal or be placed into full proceedings before an immigration judge.
   • Court challenges have stalled some quick-removal uses.
5. Removal or release
   • Outcomes include deportation, bond or parole release, and in some cases relief from removal, depending on legal status and court decisions.

Local impact and practical guidance

Washington, D.C. service providers report a surge of parents drafting emergency care notes for children, landlords fielding urgent lease questions from relatives, and employers scrambling to fill gaps after team members were detained. Restaurant owners say sudden staffing losses force temporary closures that ripple through suppliers, delivery drivers, and nearby small shops.

Community centers have added evening “Know Your Rights” sessions, while pro bono lawyers hold weekend clinics to prepare safety plans and gather key documents in advance.

Immigrant rights groups, including the Immigrant Defense Project and Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation, describe a sharp rise in hotline calls and walk-ins since January. They urge residents to:

• Keep copies of IDs and critical papers in a safe place
• Make a family plan for school pickup and child care
• Designate a trusted adult to handle medical decisions if a parent is detained

They also suggest these practical steps during encounters tied to immigration raids:

• Keep doors closed and speak through the door. You can ask officers to identify themselves.
• Request to see a warrant signed by a judge before any home entry; if shown, check names and addresses carefully.
• Exercise the right to remain silent. Many choose to share no information about birthplace or status until speaking with a lawyer.
• Ask for a lawyer and to make a phone call. Families can prepare with a written contact list.

Official statements and oversight

Acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons has highlighted arrests of gang members and people with serious criminal records as proof that the agency is targeting threats. Still, the detention numbers show broad effects on long-settled workers with no convictions, fueling protests in D.C. neighborhoods and fresh calls for congressional oversight.

City officials say they are monitoring how federal actions intersect with local policing and community trust.

Warning: The legal landscape is shifting. Supreme Court rulings on field stops and the fate of the enforcement bill could significantly change the scope of future operations.

An official overview of the agency’s mission, enforcement priorities, and removal process is available at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) website: https://www.ice.gov.

Federal policy choices in the months ahead—including the fate of the enforcement bill and Supreme Court rulings on field stops—will decide how far and how fast these immigration raids continue in Washington, D.C., and across the country.