WSJ What’s News ICE’s Expanding Authority Under Trump
36 snips
Jan 25, 2026 
Michelle Hackman, a Journal reporter who covers immigration policy and ICE operations. She discusses ICE’s shifting tactics like reduced training and faster arrest goals. She explains controversial use of administrative warrants to enter homes and the mounting legal challenges. Short, clear takes on detention practices, conditions in custody, and how enforcement plays out in cities and businesses.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
ICE's Civil Enforcement Mandate
- ICE's core mandate is civil: find people in the country illegally, arrest them, and deport them.
- Deportation is treated as a civil consequence, not a criminal punishment, despite serious real-world effects.
Training Cutbacks Amid Rapid Expansion
- The administration is rapidly expanding ICE and cutting traditional training requirements.
- Training now includes more online modules and shorter firearms instruction, and the Spanish requirement was removed.
Arrest Quotas Shape Tactics
- ICE operations are increasingly driven by numeric arrest targets rather than traditional police work.
- Officers are using profiling tactics to locate immigrants more quickly under pressure to make arrests.