Donald Trump’s incoming US presidential administration intends to significantly intensify immigration enforcement nationwide shortly after his inauguration on Monday, Reuters reported, citing a source familiar with the plans.

"We’re going to be doing operations all across the country," the source told Reuters on Friday. "You’re going to see arrests in New York. You’re going to see arrests in Miami."

The remarks followed a report by The Wall Street Journal indicating that the administration plans to launch a major immigration raid in Chicago on Tuesday.

The report, citing four individuals familiar with the plans, stated that the operation in Chicago would span the entire week, with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deploying between 100 and 200 officers to execute the effort.

However, the source who spoke to Reuters denied any special mobilization of personnel to Chicago.

Immigration was a central issue in Trump’s campaign leading up to the November 5 presidential election.

"Within moments of my inauguration, we will begin the largest domestic deportation operation in American history," Trump declared in January 2024.

According to previous reports by Reuters, Trump is expected to mobilize government agencies nationwide to achieve record deportation numbers, building on his first-term efforts to leverage all available resources and pressure so-called "sanctuary" jurisdictions into compliance.

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US conducts border crossing exercises ahead of Trump's inauguration

In a related context, AFP reported that US law enforcement conducted exercises involving barbed wire and concrete barriers on Friday at a border crossing with Mexico, as tensions mounted ahead of Trump’s inauguration.

According to an AFP journalist, vehicle crossings on an international bridge connecting Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, Texas, were suspended for approximately 40 minutes while US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers carried out the drills.

The CBP office in El Paso stated that these exercises, which began in 2019, are designed to ensure agents are prepared for potential border incidents.

Residents of Ciudad Juarez reported an increase in such exercises as Trump prepares to take office on Monday, having pledged the largest deportation of undocumented migrants in US history.

"This is the second closure I’ve seen this week," said Yadira Martinez, one of many attempting to cross the border.

Ciudad Juarez serves as a key entry point to the United States for migrants escaping poverty, violence, or political instability in their home countries. It is also an official entry point for migrants with appointments to file asylum applications through the US government’s CBP One mobile app.

Earlier this week, another Mexican border city, Tijuana, declared a state of emergency to allocate funds for managing the potential influx of deportees.

Trump, who has frequently described the arrival of migrants as an “invasion”, has vowed to declare a national emergency at the US-Mexico border upon taking office and expel millions of individuals lacking legal residency.  

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