The Trump administration’s escalating war on immigrants has reached new extremes, with more than 480,000 undocumented migrants arrested since Donald Trump returned to the White House, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Speaking at a press conference in Sarasota, Florida, Noem boasted about the sweeping arrests as part of the administration’s “zero-tolerance” campaign against migrants — a campaign that human rights groups and immigrant advocates have condemned as xenophobic, inhumane, and politically motivated.

“What President Trump has accomplished for the American people is nothing short of extraordinary,” Noem declared — words critics say mask a brutal policy of racial profiling, family separations, and mass detentions targeting vulnerable communities.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, nearly 70% of those detained under the renewed crackdown have criminal charges or prior convictions — a claim widely disputed by immigrant rights organizations, who argue that minor infractions such as expired visas or traffic violations are often exaggerated to justify aggressive federal action.

Fear and Militarization Across American Cities

The arrests have been carried out under the 287(g) program, a controversial system allowing local police to act as de facto immigration agents. Civil liberties advocates warn the program has fueled widespread fear, racial discrimination, and abuse of power, particularly in immigrant-heavy states such as Florida, Texas, and California.

Florida, Noem proudly announced, now hosts the largest number of police agencies participating in the program — a statistic that immigrant defense groups describe as “a badge of shame.”

“This is not about safety. It’s about scapegoating immigrants to score political points,” said a spokesperson for the Florida Immigrant Coalition. “Communities are being terrorized, and families are being torn apart.”

Trump has also threatened to deploy the National Guard in sanctuary cities, beginning with Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Memphis — a move civil rights lawyers warn could amount to the militarization of immigration enforcement and an open violation of the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts the use of federal troops in domestic policing.

“We will clean up the streets,” Trump said in a Fox News interview, singling out San Francisco as his next target — remarks that critics say echo authoritarian regimes, not democratic governance.

Democratic Pushback and Legal Challenges

Democrats and local officials have condemned the administration’s actions as unconstitutional and un-American. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) has formally requested that the New York Police Department (NYPD) monitor and, if necessary, arrest federal immigration officers found to be conducting unlawful detentions or assaults within city limits.

Goldman’s office issued a statement warning that DHS agents, ICE officers, and Border Patrol units have illegally detained or deported U.S. citizens, often without due process.

“No one — not even federal officers — is above the law,” Goldman’s statement said. “New York City will not be complicit in Trump’s abuse of power.”

A Climate of Fear for Migrants

The administration’s policies have reignited trauma from Trump’s previous term, when children were torn from their parents, families were placed in detention camps, and asylum seekers were forced back into danger under the “Remain in Mexico” policy.

Advocacy groups warn that the current campaign represents the largest federal operation against migrants in modern U.S. history, targeting people of color and refugees fleeing war, poverty, and U.S.-fueled instability in Latin America.

“This is not about border control — it’s about racism and control,” said a representative from Amnesty International USA. “Trump’s agenda turns immigrants into political enemies and dehumanizes entire communities.”

As Trump intensifies his anti-immigrant crusade, millions of migrant families across the United States are once again living in fear — proof that America’s promise of freedom and equality remains under siege from within. (ILKHA)