The Blubber

The Trump administration on Monday highlighted what it described as early successes from its immigration crackdown, even as concerns about due process mount. Officials displayed photos of alleged criminal offenders on the White House lawn and announced new efforts to go after so-called sanctuary cities and states that resist federal immigration enforcement.

President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order Monday directing top officials to identify within 30 days the jurisdictions that are not adequately cooperating with federal immigration laws, a White House official said.

Meanwhile, Trump has ramped up immigration enforcement since taking office, sending more troops to the southern border and vowing to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Immigration was a centerpiece of Trump's 2024 campaign, and he argues that years of high illegal immigration under his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, demanded urgent action.

During a press briefing, administration officials pointed to a sharp drop in illegal border crossings during Trump’s first three months in office—despite growing alarm over the due process rights of both immigrants and U.S. citizens caught in enforcement operations.

U.S. Border Patrol arrested 7,200 migrants crossing illegally in March—the lowest monthly figure since 2000—down from a peak of 250,000 in December 2023.

“We have the most secure border in the history of this nation, and the numbers prove it,” said Trump border czar Tom Homan at the briefing.

However, Democrats and civil rights groups have sharply criticized Trump's enforcement strategy. The American Civil Liberties Union cited instances of U.S.-citizen children being deported alongside their undocumented parents, including a child suffering from a rare form of cancer.

Homan pushed back, placing responsibility on parents who remain in the country illegally. “If you choose to have a U.S.-citizen child, knowing you're in this country illegally, you put yourself in that position,” he said.

In his first 100 days, Trump has moved to revoke legal protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants, expanding the pool of those subject to removal. Although arrests have surged, deportations have actually fallen compared to last year under Biden, when there were higher numbers of border crossers eligible for rapid expulsion.

Deportations fell from 195,000 during Biden’s first three months last year to 130,000 during the same period this year, Reuters reported. Homan defended the figures, arguing it was unfair to directly compare them to Biden-era numbers.

Meanwhile, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities are overcrowded, with around 48,000 detainees in custody by early April—well above the funded capacity of 41,500.

Homan said Fort Bliss in Texas could soon be ready to detain more migrants. The Trump administration has also been using the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to house migrant detainees.