U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to significantly expand immigration enforcement in 2026, including more workplace raids.
This will be backed by a $170 billion funding boost for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol through 2029, despite rising political resistance ahead of next year’s midterm US elections.
The funding package, passed by the Republican-controlled Congress, will allow the hiring of thousands of additional agents, the opening of new detention centres, expanded cooperation with local jails and greater use of private contractors to track migrants without legal status.
Officials say arrests and deportations are expected to rise sharply as capacity grows.
Federal agents have already increased operations in major U.S. cities, conducting neighbourhood sweeps and limited business raids, while largely sparing farms and factories. That exemption is expected to end, with workplace enforcement confirmed as part of next year’s plans.
The tougher approach has fuelled political backlash. Miami, heavily affected by enforcement actions.
The area elected its first Democratic mayor in nearly 30 years, and polling elsewhere shows rising voter concern over aggressive tactics, including masked agents, tear gas in residential areas and the detention of U.S. citizens.
Trump’s approval on immigration has fallen from 50% in March to 41% in mid-December.
Since January, about 622,000 migrants have been deported. Trump has also revoked temporary legal status from hundreds of thousands of Haitians, Venezuelans and Afghans, expanding the number of people eligible for removal, though his pledge to deport one million people annually is unlikely to be met this year.
Government data show that around 41% of those detained by late November had no criminal record beyond alleged immigration violations, a higher share than under previous administrations. Legal migrants have also been affected, with arrests at residency interviews, disruptions to citizenship ceremonies and the cancellation of thousands of student visas.
Analysts warn that expanded workplace raids could drive up labour costs, complicating efforts to curb inflation ahead of elections that will determine control of Congress. While immigration hardliners argue employers must be targeted, policy experts say business opposition could grow if enforcement begins to hit key industries.
-BTSMedia.my
