HSI Dallas Sees 83% Administrative Arrests in Worksite Operations

( DALLAS) HSI Dallas says 83% of arrests in recent worksite operations are administrative arrests of unauthorized workers, marking one of the sharpest local spikes in workplace enforcement since January. Agency officials tie the surge to a nationwide push under President Trump’s 2025 immigration agenda, which restored large-scale raids and expanded resources for ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations. Dallas has emerged as a key hub, with teams executing warrants, questioning workers, and seizing employment records in construction, manufacturing, retail, and healthcare sites across North Texas.

Since January 20, 2025, HSI reports more than 1,000 undocumented workers arrested in worksite operations nationwide, a pace that HSI Acting Director Robert Hammer called the highest in agency history. According to the agency, the Dallas field office mirrors that trend: most arrests here are administrative arrests—detention for civil immigration violations—rather than criminal charges. Investigators have also subpoenaed records from about 1,200 companies and proposed nearly $1 million in fines tied to hiring practices and employment verification failures.

Policy changes and funding driving enforcement

The enforcement wave follows the Trump Administration’s executive order “Protecting the American People Against Invasion” and the passage of House Resolution 1—referred to by the White House as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” The law supplies $165 billion to the Department of Homeland Security over four years, including funds to hire more than 10,000 new ICE agents. Officials say the infusion has boosted HSI’s ability to plan and carry out larger and more frequent workplace actions.

Tom Homan, the White House Executive Associate Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations, previewed a “massive expansion” that would reach both small shops and national brands.

HSI Dallas leaders describe a dual mission: detain unauthorized workers and hold employers accountable for illegal hiring. “Businesses that exploit and hire illegal workers are harming the American public,” Hammer said, underscoring the agency’s intent to pursue both employee removals and employer penalties. VisaVerge.com reports that the focus on administrative arrests is consistent with an approach that aims to quickly process large numbers of workers while investigators build separate cases against employers.

Employer scrutiny and compliance risks

Under the renewed strategy, employer scrutiny has grown. Companies face increased Form I-9 audits, with possible fines up to $2,861 per violation for non-compliance. Legal practitioners in Texas are urging owners and HR managers to:

• Run regular internal reviews.
• Tighten onboarding systems.
• Keep a written plan for responding to ICE and HSI visits.

Attorneys also advise training front-line supervisors on how to handle warrants and employee questioning so managers don’t give agents access beyond what the law allows.

For businesses that want to improve compliance, ICE’s IMAGE program offers training and a formal partnership path; the agency says participating firms can reduce legal risk by fixing problems before an audit or raid. Details on the program are available on the ICE website at the ICE IMAGE Program.

What happens during a worksite operation

In Dallas, attorneys are telling clients to prepare for the practical steps that usually unfold during a worksite action. The typical sequence often looks like this:

1. Arrival: Agents arrive, often without notice, and present judicial or administrative warrants.
2. Verification: Managers should request identification and review the warrant’s scope. A judicial warrant typically permits entry; an administrative warrant does not authorize access to non-public areas without consent.
3. Employee questioning: Agents may separate workers, conduct interviews, and detain those suspected of immigration violations. They can seize business records such as payroll, Form I-9, and electronic devices.
4. Legal counsel: Employers should contact counsel immediately and direct all agent communication through a designated company representative.

Legal groups caution that a calm, respectful response reduces risk. Recommended on-site roles include:

• One trained point person to meet agents.
• A second person to take notes on events and times.
• A third person to manage internal messages to staff.

Experts also suggest offering workers a simple card with the company’s attorney contact and basic rights information, while instructing employees not to obstruct agents.

Worker impacts and community consequences

Workers caught in these operations face serious outcomes. Administrative arrests often lead to detention, and many cases go into removal proceedings that can move quickly. Advocates warn that detainees may have limited access to legal counsel, especially those picked up in rural or suburban operations far from legal service networks.

Reported repercussions include:

• Children left without caregivers.
• Sudden loss of household income when breadwinners do not return home from a shift.
• Families avoiding clinics, schools, and grocery stores out of fear.

Worker groups advise carrying a pocket-sized list of important phone numbers and avoiding false statements during interviews. Community leaders encourage families to keep key documents in a safe place, arrange emergency childcare plans, and know basic rights during encounters with officers.

Employer legal exposure and best practices

Employers also risk civil and criminal exposure. Beyond fines, repeated or willful violations can lead to criminal charges, and some companies can be barred from federal contracts.

HSI powers and actions include:

• Seizing payroll files, devices, and I-9 records.
• Interviewing managers and workers on site.
• Referring employer cases for civil and criminal action.

Best-practice recommendations from attorneys:

• Conduct regular internal I-9 audits with counsel to correct errors.
• Keep a clean, separate I-9 file system to avoid over-sharing unrelated records.
• Train site managers quarterly on how to handle warrants and officer requests.
• Maintain a response plan, including who calls counsel and who oversees agent escorts.
• Avoid on-the-spot consent to search private areas unless counsel approves.

For HR teams, the I-9 process is central. Employers must complete and retain the employment eligibility form for each hire and make it available during inspections. The official Form I-9 and instructions are available from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at Form I-9. Lawyers stress that a well-run I-9 program can reduce fine exposure and demonstrate good faith during an HSI review.

Local economic effects and sector focus

The Dallas landscape reflects a clear policy turn from the prior administration. Under President Biden, workplace raids were largely paused while ICE focused more on people with certain criminal histories and national security risks. In 2025, President Trump reversed that posture. With fresh funding and direction, HSI Dallas has widened its footprint, conducting more site visits, issuing more subpoenas, and coordinating with prosecutors on employer cases.

Economic ripples are already visible:

• Operations can stop businesses for hours—or days—after a raid.
• Skilled crews may be lost overnight, leaving projects half-finished and exposing firms to breach-of-contract claims.
• Storefronts marked by agent activity often see a drop in foot traffic.

HSI Dallas has not released a list of targeted companies, but officials say sectors flagged for risk include:

• Construction
• Food processing
• Warehousing
• Retail distribution
• Hospitality
• Healthcare support services

The field office has also been active in auditing subcontractors on large projects, where paperwork gaps are common and oversight can be weak. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the subcontractor focus may explain why smaller firms are experiencing more visits, even when prime contractors claim they enforce strict compliance upstream.

Legal and community responses

Legal observers expect more court fights ahead. Defense attorneys may challenge:

• The scope of certain warrants.
• The handling of employee interviews.
• The seizure of devices and data.

Unions and worker centers plan to contest termination practices that follow raids, especially when employers dismiss large groups without paying final wages. Immigration groups are preparing motions for bond hearings and requests for stays of removal for parents of minor U.S.-citizen children. Some local governments in North Texas are coordinating with nonprofits to offer rapid-response legal clinics after raids.

On the policy front:

• Supporters of the 2025 shift argue strict enforcement protects jobs and pay for citizens and lawfully present workers and levels the playing field for compliant employers.
• Critics say sudden raids punish families, push workers into the shadows, and disrupt local supply chains, urging Congress to pair enforcement with broader reforms such as updated work visa options for sectors with long-term labor shortages.

Current outlook and practical advice

For now, HSI Dallas shows no sign of slowing. Officials point to new staffing and technology funded by HR 1, which enables more simultaneous operations and deeper reviews of digital payroll systems. The field office is also expanding outreach to employers through the IMAGE program and regional briefings that spell out I-9 rules and audit procedures.

While education continues, the message from leadership is plain: expect more site visits, more administrative arrests, and more employer cases referred for civil and criminal action.

Practical tips reiterated for employers and workers:

• Employers: post your response plan in break rooms and train managers repeatedly until steps become routine.
• Workers: keep key documents safe, arrange emergency childcare, and know basic rights during encounters with officers.
• Community groups: set up rapid-response legal resources and distribute basic rights information.

Key numbers to note: 83% administrative arrests within worksite operations, more than 1,000 worker arrests nationwide this year, and roughly 1,200 companies under review.

With funding secure and priorities set, the field office remains at the center of a national effort that is reshaping how businesses hire, how families plan daily life, and how local economies absorb sudden workforce shocks. Whether future court rulings or new legislation soften the approach, company leaders and workers in North Texas are moving quickly to prepare for the next knock at the door.