World
Trump plans expanded immigration crackdown in 2026 despite backlash
The plans come amid rising public unease over aggressive tactics, including neighborhood raids and the detention of some U.S. citizens.
U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to significantly expand his immigration crackdown in 2026, backed by billions of dollars in new funding, even as political opposition grows ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are set to receive an additional $170 billion through September 2029, enabling the administration to hire thousands of new agents, expand detention facilities and increase enforcement actions, including more workplace raids. While immigration agents have already been surged into major U.S. cities, many economically critical workplaces were largely spared in 2025.
The plans come amid rising public unease over aggressive tactics, including neighborhood raids and the detention of some U.S. citizens. Trump’s approval rating on immigration has fallen from 50% in March to 41% in mid-December, according to recent polling.
The administration has also revoked temporary legal status for hundreds of thousands of Haitian, Venezuelan and Afghan migrants, expanding the pool of people eligible for deportation.
About 622,000 immigrants have been deported since Trump took office in January, short of his goal of 1 million deportations per year.
White House border czar Tom Homan said arrests will increase sharply next year as staffing and detention capacity grow. Critics warn that expanded workplace enforcement could raise labor costs and deepen political and economic backlash ahead of the elections.