US government reconfigures immigration control: Will ICE adopt CBP tactics to increase immigrant arrests?  

The U.S. government is in the process of reconfiguring immigration control, primarily due to ICE’s underperformance compared to the administration’s expectations. While ICE achieved approximately 1,178 arrests per day, the target was 3,000. The White House is looking favorably upon strengthening and refocusing the Border Patrol’s role on the interior of the country. 

CBP has traditionally focused on customs and security operations at borders, but now, according to recent moves, the goal is for it to lead operations within US cities. Are we on the verge of seeing more helicopters flying over neighborhoods, raids on residential complexes, and harsher arrests near businesses or parking lots? 

 

What is the current limit of CBP’s scope of action? 

Border Patrol operations within U.S. territory are regulated by federal law and have precise geographic limits. By law, CBP can conduct immigration operations within a 100-mile zone from any U.S. land border or coastline. 

The provision is set out in Title 8 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which defines the “reasonable area” in which immigration agents may conduct inspections and arrests without a warrant. 

In practice, this means that CBP has legal authority to operate without a warrant at airports, highways, bus stations, and urban areas within that 100-mile zone. 

Various organizations (such as the ACLU, American Immigration Council and WOLA) have been critical of the breadth of this rule, since in practice it allows CBP to conduct checks in the interior of the country, where many residents do not even know they are within a “border zone”. 

This is precisely why the administration is reportedly seeking a more aggressive and visible strategy by putting the Border Patrol (CBP) at the forefront of internal raids, displacing ICE, which for decades has been responsible for immigration enforcement on the streets. 

This change is reportedly due to “operational frustration.” While ICE has maintained a more bureaucratic and slower structure, CBP, with its more flexible field tactics and military-style approach, is proving to be, according to the White House, more “effective” in meeting detention goals. 

 

Why change strategy if record numbers of deportations are reached? 

Paradoxically, the numbers and various studies demonstrate that ICE’s enforcement of the law within the country is yielding results. While previous administrations concentrated most deportations at border crossings, the Trump administration has shifted the focus to the interior of the country, where nearly 60% of deportations were carried out by ICE, according to the Migration Policy Institute. ( https://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/new-era-enforcement-trump-2 ) 

And indeed, ICE has become the operational hub of a system of mass deportations, exceeding, according to estimates from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), 340,000 deportations in fiscal year 2025. This represents a 25% increase compared to the agency’s work in 2024, in which it reached approximately 272,000, or more than the 143,000 achieved in 2023. ( iceAnnualReportFY2024.pdf ). 

To achieve the goal of mass deportations, the administration has expanded coordination between federal agencies and strengthened cooperation with state and local forces. This has resulted in an accelerated increase in detention capacity and the expansion of the expedited path to expulsion, which has also been achieved thanks to new agreements to repatriate people to third countries. 

ICE’s results in 2025 far exceed those of CBP; that is, the number of deported people who lived inside the United States is much higher than the number of those detained by the Border Patrol while trying to cross the Southwest border without documentation. 

In fact, according to MPI estimates, daily ICE deportations doubled, rising from 600 in January to 1,200 since June. This increase occurred at the same time as a surge in the number of immigrants taken to detention centers. 

 

In 2025, ICE has increased arrests while CBP decreased them. 

Since the beginning of the Trump administration, the average number of immigrants in ICE detention centers has gradually increased, reaching nearly 60,000 as of September 2025, just at the close of the fiscal year. 

While statistics showed that CBP had detained nearly 25,000 immigrants by October 2024, by the end of fiscal year 2025, the figure stood at approximately 12,000, showing a decrease of about 48%. This has a clear explanation: the current administration’s aggressive immigration policy has led thousands of people to not even attempt to cross into U.S. territory. 

Meanwhile, while ICE detained about 15,000 immigrants in October 2024, that number increased to 45,000 people detained by the agency by the end of September 2025, marking a 67 % increase. 

The strengthening of the immigration policy strategy with a focus on the interior of the country is clear. Since January 2025, the number of detainees by CBP has fallen drastically, while those apprehended by ICE have increased significantly, rising from approximately 25,000 to 60,000 by the end of September, a 59% increase . (https://www.ice.gov/detain/detention-management) 

 

More budget, more control, more raids, but… 

Focusing deportations on the interior of the country has significant operational repercussions, given that such expulsions require far more resources and entail greater individual and social costs. 

 The administration has brought Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to constant changes during 2025 that, while allowing it to have greater control and exercise its authority in immigration matters, still do not meet the expectations and goals set by the Government. 

Since the administration set a goal of more than 3,000 arrests per day at the beginning of the year, the agency has been in constant evolution in its leadership, institutions, and operations. One of the latest and most controversial decisions is the replacement of at least 12 of the 25 directors. ICE field offices will be largely replaced with Border Patrol officers in an unprecedented leadership restructuring. We’re talking about 50% of senior management that the current administration believes are not meeting goals. 

We have learned that the directors of Denver, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, El Paso, Seattle/Portland, and New Orleans have been reassigned to other positions. According to Immigration. According to the Forum, the replacements are being evaluated by Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and White House advisor Corey Lewandowski. (https://forumtogether.org/article/legislative-bulletin-friday-october-31-2025/) 

The goal behind this move would be to strengthen and make the operation against undocumented immigrants and those involved in criminal matters stronger. 

Senior administration officials have expressed their preference for Border Patrol tactics, which include deploying helicopters to residential buildings and conducting operations in commercial parking lots. This has even generated internal tensions within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where many disagree with the new guidelines. 

 

Immigrants trapped between fear and uncertainty 

As the immigration debate in the United States intensifies, the lives of immigrants amidst all this tension are moving closer to the border of fear and uncertainty. 

According to a survey conducted by KFF in the first half of 2025, four out of ten immigrants feared that they or a family member could be detained or deported. This data reflects not only the uncertainty surrounding immigration policies but also the psychological impact of living under the constant threat of ICE raids. (https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/kff-survey-of-immigrants-views-and-experiences-in-the-early-days-of-president-trumps-second-term/) 

The same study revealed that 1 in 8 immigrants and 1 in 5 legally present immigrants in the United States reported limiting their participation in everyday activities such as working, attending community events, or seeking medical care for fear of drawing the attention of authorities to their immigration status. For example, 36% stated they were “unsure” whether ICE or CBP could make arrests in “sensitive locations” such as schools or hospitals. 

But this perception is not isolated. According to the Pew Research Center, most Americans (54%) disapprove of ICE increasing raids in workplaces or communities. While the figure shows widespread rejection of harsher tactics, it also highlights the persistent political divide, as support for the raids is higher among Republican voters, while Democrats view them as a disproportionate and ineffective measure. (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-americans-think-about-trumps-deportations-right-now ) 

This same study found that 54% of adults surveyed agree that ICE’s actions «have gone too far,» compared to 18% who say they haven’t gone far enough. Meanwhile, 26% believe they are «more or less adequate.» 

Another study, the “Latino Democracy Survey” conducted by BSP Research in July 2025, confirms this trend, with nearly 50% of Latinos supporting deportations focused solely on individuals with criminal records, while the remainder believe that mass operations destroy trust in institutions and weaken social cohesion. (https://bspresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Latino-Democracy-Survey-Deck.pdf ) 

Another report from UnidosUS, one of the most influential Latino organizations in the country, revealed that the priority for most Latino voters is not deportation, but rather the search for legal alternatives and humanitarian solutions. 

These and other studies warn about the emotional, economic, and social impact that the massive operations of the immigration authorities are having on migrant families, since in some states the phenomenon of absenteeism, social rejection, and loss of trust in the authorities is much more frequent. 

 

What do migrant advocacy groups say about the new tactics? 

Immigrant advocacy groups in the United States have issued several complaints about ICE’s actions during 2025, pointing to practices that, according to known cases, violate international human rights standards and create a climate of fear. 

For example, a joint report submitted by a coalition of 23 organizations to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UPR) warns that the country “continues to violate the human rights of non-citizens through mass detention, denial of due process, abusive and discriminatory policing, labor exploitation, and repression of civic space.” (https://rfkhumanrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/FINAL-UPR-Imm.-Coalition-Submission_4.7.25.pdf) 

These organizations emphasize that immigration detention has become a tool of control that affects people who have lived in the country for years or arrived seeking protection, without the system providing them with basic guarantees. (https://immigrantjustice.org/issues/detention-and-enforcement/) 

Furthermore, a study released by Physicians for Human Rights in conjunction with the Peeler Immigration Lab and Harvard Law School documented that between April 2024 and May 2025, at least 10,588 people in ICE custody were subjected to solitary confinement, a practice that “causes devastating physical and psychological harm.” (https://phr.org/news/ice-subjected-10500-people-to-solitary-confinement-over-14-months-as-the-cruel-practice-surges-report/) 

 

What has been the real impact of ICE’s 2025 changes on immigrants? 

The changes ICE made in 2025, both in management and operations, have had profound repercussions for legal and undocumented immigrants. Under the pretext of strengthening national security and “restoring immigration order,” the agency expanded its detention capacity, modified its operating protocols, and redefined its internal strategy. 

Until January 2025, ICE was restricted from operating in areas designated as «sensitive locations,» including schools, hospitals, and churches, where immigration arrests were prohibited. However, new policies have marked a turning point. The agency can now carry out arrests virtually anywhere, creating an atmosphere of widespread fear and anxiety. 

In addition, since July of this year and following an internal memorandum, ICE established that people detained for entering the United States irregularly can remain in custody throughout their deportation process without the right to a bond hearing before an immigration judge. 

ICE tightened its grip on businesses and employers by increasing audits and workplace raids. Fines for hiring unauthorized workers were raised to $28,000 per violation for repeat offenders, and I-9 inspections were intensified nationwide. 

 

CBP gains prominence over ICE in the Trump administration’s new immigration strategy 

The transfer of personnel and operational command from the Border Patrol (CBP) to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reflects more than a simple institutional reorganization; it could represent a profound tactical change in US immigration policy. 

CBP offers the government greater impact, as its presence in helicopters, joint operations, and urban patrols projects an image of control and efficiency that aligns with the government’s hardline stance against immigration. This perception has prompted the administration to strengthen CBP’s role, transferring its tactical model for exercising authority within the country. 

With this decision, the administration would be betting on a strategy of prioritizing a more direct, rapid, and forceful approach to enforcing immigration laws. By adopting CBP tactics that include more aggressive and visible operations, the administration would be seeking results that support its goals of mass deportations. 

However, it remains to be seen whether this image of greater authority and efficiency crosses the line into disrespect for rights, as some advocacy groups argue that the shift of CBP’s powers towards operations within the country and the decrease in supervision and basic protections increase the risk for migrants already living in the U.S., since they could face more detentions, deportations, or human rights abuses this time far from the border. 

 

CBP calls former agents and offers them double pay. 

A few days ago, CBP announced that former Border Patrol agents and retired officers can rejoin the service, offering them an opportunity to return to the agency while retaining their retirement benefits. The agency announced that eligible retirees can apply for double pay, without reductions or compensation. 

However, this shift leaves us with some questions about the legal and humanitarian limits that officers of an agency that was originally conceived to operate on the border will have, but which will now begin to play a leading role on the streets of the United States. 

 

What are CBP’s numbers like? 

The Border Patrol recorded 444,000 encounters with migrants at ports of entry during fiscal year 2025. Of these, 238,000 were Border Patrol encounters with migrants who crossed the border without authorization, representing the lowest level in 55 years. The remaining 206,000 were encounters at ports of entry by CBP’s Office of Field Operations. (https://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/new-era-enforcement-trump-2) 

According to the Migration Policy Institute’s analysis from February to September, the Border Patrol processed more than 94% of the migrants it encountered to achieve their expedited removal, reinstatement of the removal order, voluntary return, or detention by ICE. 

Mexican citizens accounted for 45% of Border Patrol encounters in October 2024, a percentage that increased to 69% in September 2025. During the same period, the percentage of migrants from countries other than Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, or Venezuela decreased from 28% to 11%. 

Meanwhile, the encounter with citizens of Guatemala and Honduras remained practically stable, while with Colombian citizens it went from 7% in October 2024 to 1% in September 2025. 

 

ICE: Fewer criminals, more immigrants without criminal records 

The monthly trend in ICE arrests during fiscal year 2025 shows a progressive shift in the profile of those detained. While at the beginning of the period, between October and December 2024, arrests of immigrants with criminal records predominated (between 63% and 65% of the total), a sustained reduction in this group is observed starting in March 2025, falling to 35% in September 2025. Simultaneously, the proportion of individuals classified as other immigration violators, that is, individuals without criminal charges but with administrative or immigration status violations, increases markedly. This group goes from representing just 6% in October 2024 to more than 35% by the end of the fiscal year. 

This change in the figures reveals a tactical shift in ICE’s operations, which has broadened its scope beyond immigrants with criminal records to include those who are simply undocumented. In other words, this suggests that the agency is prioritizing the number of arrests focusing on convicted criminals or those with pending cases. 

This gap in immigration control could explain why the Trump administration is seeking to integrate part of CBP’s operating model into ICE. 

 

Between fear and the expansion of control 

If immigrants already live in fear of ICE’s current tactics, the arrival of Border Patrol (CBP) agents and strategies to their teams could amplify that fear to unprecedented levels. Surveys reveal that a significant portion of the immigrant community has altered their daily lives for fear of being detained, and that even those with legal status feel insecure given the ambiguity of the new rules. 

With the addition of CBP personnel, an agency trained for border control and not for living in urban areas, the migration situation in the interior of the country could become more tense. The line between security and persecution is blurring, and the message reaching communities is that there is no safe space: not at work, not at school, not at the hospital. 

The human cost of this expanded control is not measured solely in deportation figures, but also in the psychological, social, and economic impact on entire families. If fear is already constant under the shadow of ICE, its combination with the operational muscle and visible tactics of CBP could transform that fear into a new era of widespread distrust, where every patrol, helicopter, or unexpected visit feels like a threat to stability and the right to remain.