DHS executes mass deportations, adds $124M for Helene relief

The Department of Homeland Security is pushing ahead with what officials call the most aggressive immigration enforcement drive in modern U.S. history while also trying to help communities battered by Hurricane Helene. After criticism from both parties and from President Biden over gaps in the early disaster response, the administration added an extra $124 million for emergency aid and enforcement in August 2025. At the same time, the Mass Deportation Campaign ordered by President Trump continues, with far‑reaching raids and removals and a temporary pause on some operations in the hardest‑hit storm zones.

DHS says more than 142,000 people have been deported since January, and the agency has widened cooperation with local police, expanded detention, and rolled out new tools that are driving record numbers of voluntary departures.

Escalating enforcement and new tools

Since January 2025, DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have run large, coordinated operations—especially in sanctuary cities—and widened enforcement to schools, hospitals, and places of worship. Officials say the priority is people with criminal records or prior deportation orders.

DHS reports:
– More than 142,000 deportations by August 2025.
– A White House claim that about 1.6 million people without status are no longer in the United States after forced removals and self‑deportations.

Supporters frame the effort as a long‑delayed reset after years of record crossings. Critics say it is a show of force that puts families at risk and scares people away from medical care, schools, and emergency shelters.

Key tools and changes:
– The CBP One app has been replaced by CBP Home, which lets people register for voluntary departure and, if they confirm arrival back in their country, receive a $1,000 stipend and forgiveness of civil fines.
– Expansion of the 287(g) program: DHS has signed 579 agreements with sheriffs and police departments so local officers can act in an immigration role.
– Detention capacity has increased, with tent camps authorized and the facility at Guantanamo Bay reopened for high‑risk detainees.
– Congress passed the Laken Riley Act, requiring federal detention for people accused of serious crimes who lack status.

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the goal is “removing criminal illegal aliens and cleaning up this national security nightmare,” and defended sending people to third countries when home governments refuse to take them back.

A Supreme Court decision in June 2025 gave DHS authority to deport certain criminal offenders to third countries that agree to accept them, even if their home nations refuse return flights. DHS says this will prevent long stays in detention when countries of origin will not issue travel documents. Legal groups counter that it raises due process concerns and could send people to places without support; the administration says the policy is narrow and focused on public‑safety risks.

Hurricane Helene response and funding shift

Hurricane Helene struck the Gulf region in July 2025, tearing through towns and knocking out power for days. Local officials and aid groups said many residents avoided shelters because they feared immigration sweeps—a fear rooted in the same stepped‑up enforcement that marked the year.

After rising public anger and criticism from governors of both parties and President Biden, DHS announced $124 million in extra funding for:
– Emergency housing
– Medical care
– Temporary legal protections for storm victims, including people without status

DHS also issued a limited pause on enforcement in the most damaged areas so families could reach help without immediate risk of arrest. The agency says removals will resume once urgent rescue and recovery needs are met.

Front‑line impacts:
– Churches that opened their doors after the storm received calls from parishioners frightened by rumors of raids.
– Hospital workers reported treating people who delayed care because they feared ICE presence.
– Local sheriffs in 287(g) jurisdictions faced pressure from residents and business owners wanting quick restoration of services, while immigrant families asked for clear separation between emergency response and immigration checks.

DHS says its temporary suspension in designated zones lets anyone seek shelter and aid, regardless of status, and directed field teams to focus on rescue and relief. Community groups welcomed the pause but said many families still feel exposed.

How the $124 million will be used:
– Short‑term housing
– Clinic support
– Legal help for people trying to replace records or seek temporary status tied to the disaster

Officials noted enforcement actions, including traffic stops under 287(g), had discouraged workers vital to rebuilding—construction, farm labor, and hospitality had thinned before the storm. After Helene, employers reported staffing struggles for cleanup and repair work. Business groups warn that slow recovery could follow if labor gaps persist.

Legal fights, policy shifts, and community fallout

The administration is relying on older statutes to move faster. Officials have cited the Alien Registration Act and other wartime laws to speed removals and limit access to the full immigration‑court process for some categories—especially when criminal records or prior removal orders exist.

Current legal and programmatic impacts:
– Federal courts are weighing challenges to fast‑track removals and the use of wartime authorities.
– Lawsuits also target the termination of refugee resettlement contracts and the freezing of humanitarian aid.
– Refugee admissions are paused; resettlement organizations say the loss of federal funds has left people without housing, case management, or job placement.

DHS argues the focus must be on public safety and people with final orders, and says humanitarian programs will not be used to avoid enforcement.

Human impacts and community effects:
– People flagged through 287(g), past deportation orders, or criminal records face quick detention and removal.
– Twilight protections—DACA, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), or humanitarian parole—are eroding as work permits lapse and protections end.
– Legal service groups report heavy demand from mixed‑status families deciding whether to stay, use the CBP Home self‑departure path, or relocate to areas without local‑federal enforcement partnerships.

Concerns about trust and public safety:
– Civil rights advocates argue that 287(g) partnerships fuel racial profiling, undermine trust, and deter reporting of crimes.
– Some police chiefs warn victims and witnesses are less likely to call if they fear immigration screening.

Access to counsel:
– Many people processed in fast‑track removal have limited time to contact a lawyer.
– Legal aid groups report scarce phone/video access in some detention sites and transfers to distant facilities, making family contact and case tracking difficult.
– DHS says expedited processing targets people with final orders or criminal history and reduces time in custody.
– In highest‑risk cases, people may be held at Guantanamo Bay or secure tent sites while travel documents are prepared—moves advocates say make visits almost impossible and can break family communication.

The CBP Home self‑departure system

Through the CBP Home app, people can:
1. Register for voluntary departure.
2. Arrange travel.
3. Confirm arrival abroad to receive a $1,000 stipend and a waiver of civil fines.

DHS says the option reduces detention and lets people plan exits with dignity. Critics worry:
– Some families feel pushed into leaving because of fear of raids or job loss.
– People who might qualify for relief may make quick decisions without legal advice.
– Data security concerns: whether app records could later block legal return.

DHS maintains participation is voluntary and says the app clears backlogs and closes old cases without force.

Disaster‑zone specifics and ongoing risks

For families in the storm zone:
– People are using the disaster hotline to ask whether seeking FEMA shelter could expose them to arrest after the pause ends.
– Others ask whether new funding covers help replacing lost immigration papers or whether temporary status could protect workers needed for rebuilding.

DHS response:
– Disaster effort will include legal clinics and coordination with local groups to connect residents to housing, medical care, and document replacement.
– Enforcement is suspended only in designated Helene areas and only for the period needed to handle the emergency. People outside those pockets—or after the pause ends—remain at risk if they have prior orders or criminal records.

Scale, ambitions, and what’s next

Officials say the long‑term plan is to keep ramping up enforcement:
– White House ambition: up to one million removals per year, though DHS acknowledges 2025 numbers may fall short.
– DHS is increasing flights, deepening 287(g) partnerships, and refining the CBP Home app to raise voluntary departures.

Pending legal limits:
– Lawsuits will shape how far these plans can go. Federal judges are reviewing due process claims tied to fast‑track removal, the pause in refugee admissions, and wartime authorities used to bypass standard procedures.
– Advocacy groups are challenging the cancellation of resettlement contracts, arguing the shift leaves refugees without support.

For families, workers, and local leaders, the message is mixed:
– DHS says enforcement is paused in Helene disaster zones so people can reach shelter.
– Simultaneously, the Mass Deportation Campaign is accelerating elsewhere, with broader 287(g) coverage and added detention capacity.

The Department of Homeland Security urges anyone with questions about storm aid or policy updates to check official announcements on the DHS website at https://www.dhs.gov.

As the United States 🇺🇸 heads into fall, both the pace of removals and the speed of recovery from Hurricane Helene will test whether the added funding and the new enforcement tools can meet the moment.