Trump Immigration Crackdown Expands Role of IRS and HHS Agencies

Federal agencies across the United States 🇺🇸 have ramped up immigration enforcement under President Trump’s Project 2025, marking a sharp turn in national policy. As of July 23, 2025, this Trump immigration crackdown uses a coordinated approach, involving not just Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but also the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and other agencies. The aim is to reshape how the country handles both legal and unauthorized immigration, with sweeping changes that touch nearly every aspect of immigrant life.

Project 2025: The Blueprint for Immigration Enforcement

Project 2025 stands as the administration’s main plan for immigration. It calls for:

• Expanding immigration courts and detention centers to process and hold more people.
• Nationwide use of expedited removal, which means many immigrants can be deported quickly without a judge reviewing their case.
• Ending protections for sensitive zones—places like schools, hospitals, and churches—so ICE can conduct raids there.
• Repealing programs that have protected hundreds of thousands, such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and T and U visas for crime and trafficking victims.
• Eliminating the Diversity Visa Lottery and cutting back on family-based immigration, shifting instead to a merit-based system that favors skills and education.

This crackdown is not just about ICE. It brings in the IRS to check immigrants’ tax records, HHS to limit public benefits, and even the Department of Agriculture to look at farmworker visa programs. Local and state police are now required to work more closely with federal agents, sharing information and facing penalties if they refuse.

Recent Policy Changes and Executive Orders

Since the start of 2025, President Trump has signed several executive orders that change the rules for immigrants:

• Birthright citizenship is now restricted. Children born in the United States 🇺🇸 after February 19, 2025, to mothers who are in the country unlawfully or on temporary visas, and whose fathers are not U.S. citizens or green card holders, will not automatically become citizens.
• Asylum rights have been suspended at the southern border, with the administration calling the situation an “invasion.” Many asylum seekers are now barred from entry or held in detention indefinitely.
• Immigration courts are expanding, and the government wants to deport about 500,000 people in 2025. While this is less than the 685,000 deported in 2024 under President Biden, it still represents a major increase from earlier years.

Other changes include:

• ICE leadership changes to push for tougher enforcement.
• IRS data used to find undocumented immigrants through their tax filings.
• HHS tightening rules for public benefits, which affects not only immigrants but also their U.S.-citizen family members.
• E-Verify expansion, a system that checks if workers are allowed to work in the United States 🇺🇸. However, this system sometimes makes mistakes, which can hurt people who are actually allowed to work, especially people of color.

Border Security and Legal Immigration Proposals

The administration has ordered more border wall construction and made it much harder for people to seek asylum. At the same time, there are proposals for new legal immigration programs:

• A “Gold Card” program would offer permanent residency to foreign investors who pay $5 million or more. This plan still needs Congress to approve it.
• There are talks about new pathways for farmworkers to get legal status, but no laws have been passed yet.
• President Trump has said he wants to make it easier for international students and people with skills in artificial intelligence to get green cards, but current policies remain strict and sometimes contradict these promises.

Key Stakeholders and Their Roles

• President Trump leads the push for Project 2025, focusing on enforcement, border security, and a shift to a merit-based immigration system. He supports some high-skilled immigration but keeps a tough stance on unauthorized immigration.
• ICE and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials are in charge of detention and removal, working with the IRS and HHS to enforce the new rules.
• HHS leaders are enforcing new limits on public benefits for immigrants, aiming to cut government spending on noncitizens.
• Local and state governments must now cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. Some cities and states resist, saying these rules hurt community trust and may break local laws.
• Immigrant rights groups and legal experts warn that these changes could lead to wrongful deportations, loss of legal protections, and harm to vulnerable groups like Dreamers, TPS holders, and asylum seekers.
• Businesses and farmers worry about losing workers due to stricter enforcement and visa rules. Some support changes to farmworker visas but are waiting for clear proposals.

How These Changes Affect Different Groups

• Undocumented immigrants now face a higher risk of being detained or deported anywhere in the country, even in places that used to be off-limits for enforcement. Many will lose work permits and legal protections, especially those with TPS or DACA.
• Mixed-status families—where some members are citizens and others are not—are losing access to public benefits and health care, making it harder to meet basic needs.
• Asylum seekers and refugees have fewer chances to enter or stay in the United States 🇺🇸. Many are turned away or held in detention for long periods.
• Employers and workers must use E-Verify more often, but mistakes in the system can cost eligible workers their jobs and make hiring more difficult.
• People applying for legal immigration face stricter checks, fewer visa options, and longer waits, especially if they want to bring family members.

Step-by-Step Enforcement: How the Crackdown Works

1. Identification and Targeting
   • The IRS checks tax records to find undocumented workers.
   • HHS reviews applications for public benefits to see if applicants are eligible based on their immigration status.
   • ICE now conducts raids in places like schools, hospitals, and churches, which were previously protected.
2. Detention and Removal
   • Immigrants caught by ICE are often held in detention centers.
   • Expanded immigration courts process cases faster, with many people facing removal without a judge’s review.
   • Expedited removal is now used nationwide, not just near the border.
3. Local Cooperation
   • States and cities must share information with ICE, including motor vehicle and voter registration data.
   • Jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate face penalties, such as loss of federal funding.
4. Legal and Administrative Actions
   • Executive orders have changed rules for birthright citizenship and asylum.
   • Proposals in Congress aim to end protections like TPS and DACA.
   • New regulations expand E-Verify and limit visa categories.

Expert Opinions and Analysis

Legal experts say many of these executive actions stretch the limits of presidential power and are already facing court challenges, especially the new rules on birthright citizenship and asylum. Immigrant rights groups warn that the crackdown could lead to a humanitarian crisis, with mass deportations, family separations, and increased risk for vulnerable people.

Policy analysts point out that while enforcement is tougher, there are limits. Detention centers can only hold so many people, and legal challenges can slow down deportations. Economic experts warn that cutting legal immigration and work permits could hurt industries like farming and technology, which rely on immigrant workers.

As reported by VisaVerge.com, these changes have created confusion and fear in many communities, with families unsure about their rights and futures.

Historical Background: How We Got Here

President Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2021 set the stage for these policies, with actions like family separations and building parts of the border wall. President Biden’s administration tried to balance enforcement with protections for immigrants, but Project 2025 marks a return to and expansion of Trump-era policies. The big difference now is the use of more federal agencies, like the IRS and HHS, to enforce immigration rules.

What’s Next? The Future of U.S. Immigration Policy

Looking ahead, the administration plans to keep expanding immigration courts and detention centers. Congress may soon debate whether to end programs like TPS and DACA and whether to approve the Gold Card investor visa or new farmworker visas. Legal battles over birthright citizenship and asylum bans are expected to continue, and the federal government will keep pushing local governments to cooperate with enforcement.

Practical Steps for Immigrants and Families

If you or your family are affected by these changes, here are some steps you can take:

• Stay informed about your rights and any changes to immigration laws.
• Consult with a trusted immigration lawyer or legal aid group for advice on your specific situation.
• Check your eligibility for public benefits with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and be prepared for possible changes.
• If you are applying for a visa or immigration relief, visit the official U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website for the latest forms and updates.
• Employers should review E-Verify requirements and be aware of possible errors that could affect workers.

Official Resources

• ICE: For information on enforcement and detention, visit ICE’s official website.
• HHS: For public benefits and health programs, see HHS’s immigrant eligibility page.
• IRS: For tax compliance and immigrant financial records, go to IRS’s page for immigrants.
• USCIS: For visa applications, DACA, TPS, and other programs, use the USCIS website.

Conclusion: What This Means for Communities

The Trump immigration crackdown under Project 2025 is changing the landscape for millions of immigrants and their families. By involving agencies like the IRS and the Department of Health and Human Services, the administration is using every tool available to enforce immigration laws. These changes bring new risks and challenges, but also highlight the importance of staying informed and seeking help when needed.

For immigrants, families, employers, and advocates, the coming months will be critical. Legal challenges, new policies, and possible changes in Congress could all affect how these rules are enforced. It’s important to keep up with official updates and to know your rights.

For more detailed analysis and ongoing updates, readers can turn to trusted sources like VisaVerge.com and official government websites. Staying connected to these resources will help you make informed decisions in a time of rapid change.

Learn Today

Project 2025 → A federal plan expanding immigration enforcement and changing legal immigration policies under President Trump’s administration.
Expedited Removal → A process allowing swift deportation of immigrants without judicial review, applied nationwide under Project 2025.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) → A program granting temporary safety from deportation to people from designated countries facing crises.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) → An immigration policy protecting eligible undocumented youth from deportation and allowing work permits.
E-Verify → An electronic system used by employers to confirm if workers have legal authorization to work in the U.S.

This Article in a Nutshell

Project 2025 marks a major immigration enforcement shift, involving multiple federal agencies to accelerate deportations and restrict legal protections, redefining immigrant life across the U.S. New policies limit birthright citizenship, end asylum rights, and expand detention centers, highlighting an unprecedented crackdown on unauthorized and legal immigration alike.
— By VisaVerge.com