As Trump ramps up immigration raids, some migrants go underground

A sense of fear and unease is rippling through US immigrant communities as the Trump administration ramps up arrests of undocumented migrants, netting criminals and those without criminal histories alike.

Federal officers have arrested thousands of undocumented migrants since Donald Trump took office on 20 January, increasing raids in cities across the country including Chicago, New York, Denver and Los Angeles.

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that while arrests of criminals will be prioritised, nobody in the country illegally is “off the table”.

In some communities, the arrests have prompted some migrants to skip work or keep their children home from school.

More than 3,500 undocumented migrants have been arrested since Trump returned to the White House, including just over 1,000 on Tuesday, 969 on Monday and 1,179 on Sunday, according to daily statistics published by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

By comparison, an average of 310 were made during the 2024 fiscal year, when Joe Biden was in office, according to the agency.

Immigration officials have described these raids as “targeted enforcement operations” that have resulted in the arrest of violent gang members and dangerous suspects, and have deputised agents from other federal law enforcement agencies to help step up arrests.

“I haven’t seen anything remotely like this, and it’s just the first few days of the presidency,” said Gina Amato Lough, the California-based director attorney for the Immigrants Right Project, an immigration advocacy group. “Nothing of this magnitude.”

Ms Lough added that the “stated intention is to create shock and awe”.

“It’s working,” she said. “It’s also creating terror in the community.”

The White House and ICE have publicised some of these arrests, showing pictures of the suspects and providing details of their countries of origin and crimes, which have included sex crimes, assaults and drug-trafficking offences.

But the White House has made it clear that any undocumented migrant caught up in these raids – whether criminals or not – are subject to arrest and deportation, even though simply being in the US illegally is a civil matter.

Earlier this week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that “all of them” are criminals.

“They illegally broke our nation’s laws, and, therefore, are criminals are far as this administration goes,” she told reporters on Tuesday.

The arrests have already had a chilling effect on many immigrant communities across the US.

Ms Lough, for example, said that undocumented clients have expressed a fear about going to any government agency – even to get a driver’s licence – or seeking medical attention in hospitals.

“We’re hearing people are terrified, and we’re getting calls left and right,” said Michael Lukens, the executive director of the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, an organisation which provides free legal representation to undocumented migrants detained by authorities.

“People are scared to go to work, or to send their kids to schools,” he said, adding the Trump administration has blocked his organisation’s efforts to enter detention facilities to meet with detainees.

“That’s exactly what the White House wants – to instil fear in people and make them leave,” he said. “That’s not something we’ve ever seen.”

Among those who have expressed fear is Gabriela, a Bolivian migrant who entered the US over 20 years ago, who hid under a pile of corn stalks in the boot of a smuggler’s case on the journey.

Now a housekeeper in Maryland, Gabriela was initially unconcerned by Trump’s election victory, believing that he would only target criminals and that many migrants would benefit from an improved economy.

But nine days into the administration, she says she’s grown fearful, along with many of her neighbours, after seeing that ICE had conducted operations in nearby communities.

“Lots of people in my building have stopped sending their children to schools. Nobody is even going to church now,” she told the BBC. “We’re tuning into mass online.”

Gabriela said she’s begun packing her belongings in the hopes that, if arrested and deported, acquaintances might be able to ship them back to Bolivia.

Another undocumented migrant, a Mexican national named Carlos who lives in New York City, told the BBC concerns over possible arrests have driven some underground.

“We heard that ICE came to a building not far from me,” said Carlos, whose son is a US citizen born in New York.

Like Gabriela, Carlos was initially cautiously optimistic about Trump’s electoral win and thought he would indirectly benefit from Trump’s promises to boost the economy and lower inflation.

“It’s scary. I’ve been avoiding being out on the street more than I need to,” he added. “I don’t have a problem with criminals being arrested. But we keep hearing that other people – workers – are also being taken away.”

Both Gabriela and Carlos asked to be identified only by their first names, fearing retribution or attention from authorities.

It is unclear how many of those arrested have criminal histories and how many are what have been what the first Trump administration termed “collateral” arrests.

NBC has reported that on 26 January, only 52% of those taken into custody were considered “criminal arrests”, citing administration officials .

The BBC has contacted the White House for comment on the figures.

When asked about the number at a press briefing on Tuesday, Ms Leavitt said only that anyone who “broke our nation’s laws” is a criminal.