As the immigration debate heats up once again, Donald Trump is making it very clear: his administration is determined to go harder and faster than ever before on deportations.
A new daily target has been set, and it’s raising eyebrows — 3,000 arrests per day.
That’s right. According to White House insiders, Trump wants immigration officers to step up their game in a big way, aiming for thousands of arrests every single day as part of his sweeping immigration crackdown. And that’s just the beginning.
White House Aims to Push Numbers Higher and Faster
Stephen Miller, Trump’s longtime advisor and now Deputy Chief of Staff, shared the plan during a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity.
He called the 3,000-arrest benchmark just a starting point, saying the numbers will only increase under Trump’s renewed leadership.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we’re looking at a minimum of 3,000 arrests for ICE every day,” Miller stated, describing the initiative as part of a broader plan to escalate deportations across the board.
Trump’s Border Czar Demands More Action
Backing up that aggressive push is Trump’s border point man, Tom Homan, who didn’t mince words about the administration’s expectations.
He praised ICE’s current efforts but made it clear it’s not enough.
“The numbers are good, but I’m not satisfied.
I haven’t been satisfied all year long,” he admitted during a Thursday morning briefing, emphasizing the urgency to remove more undocumented immigrants — and fast.
So Far: Tens of Thousands Arrested and Deported
Within Trump’s first 100 days back in the White House, immigration officers arrested more than 66,000 undocumented immigrants.
Out of those, over 65,000 have already been deported — and many had criminal records.
According to ICE, at least 17,000 of those deported had been charged with or convicted of crimes, from DUIs to violent offenses like assault and weapons charges.
Officials say they’ve successfully removed gang members, murderers, and child rapists.
Legal Hurdles and Controversial Deportation Tactics
Still, the administration is facing growing legal scrutiny over how these deportations are happening.
Critics are challenging the constitutionality of some tactics — especially those that have seen migrants shipped off to dangerous locations like war-era prisons in El Salvador.
Other individuals have been deported to third-party countries without a clear legal path to appeal or even understand the full scope of their removal.
Immigration lawyers and advocacy groups have called these policies unjust and chaotic.
Comparing Biden and Trump on Deportation Numbers
If you compare the numbers to the Biden era, the shift is stark.
In April 2025 alone, ICE deported 17,200 people — about 4,000 more than they did in April the year before under President Joe Biden.
Still, even with this aggressive uptick, the 3,000-a-day goal is nowhere near the numbers Trump promised during his campaign, when he pledged to remove up to 20 million undocumented immigrants.
He called it “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history.”
Trump’s Frustration With Slow Progress on the Ground
Behind closed doors, Trump has reportedly been frustrated with how slowly things are moving.
Despite the administration’s heavy rhetoric, agents on the ground say tracking down undocumented migrants — especially those with criminal records — is a time-consuming and challenging job.
It turns out that carrying out mass deportations is a lot more complicated than political slogans make it seem.
Immigration Courts See Sudden Shift in Tactics
In an unusual move, Homeland Security ramped up its enforcement across immigration courts nationwide last week — from New York to Seattle.
Immigration lawyers say they witnessed an alarming trend: prosecutors were told to start dropping cases.
According to multiple immigration officials, attorneys were directed to dismiss cases as soon as migrants walked into court, knowing ICE agents would be waiting outside to arrest them the moment they walked back out.
ICE Reportedly Targeting Asylum Seekers and Non-Criminals Too
The American Immigration Lawyers Association has raised serious concerns.
They say the latest wave of arrests has included people with no criminal records, those without legal counsel, and even asylum seekers.
For many, it feels like a system that’s being weaponized — where due process is tossed aside and legal protections are on thin ice.
What Happens Next?
As Trump continues to push for faster and more aggressive deportation tactics, it’s clear the political divide on immigration is growing deeper.
Supporters say it’s about law and order. Critics argue it’s a humanitarian crisis in the making.
With 2025 shaping up to be another turbulent year on immigration, all eyes will be on how these goals play out — and what it means for the millions of undocumented people currently living in the U.S.