Trump plans to expand immigration repression in 2026: ‘the numbers are going to explode’

Trump plans to expand immigration repression in 2026: ‘the numbers are going to explode’ United States President Donald Trump is preparing an intensification of immigration repression policies in 2026, supported by billions of dollars in new resources and the expansion of police raids on workplaces. The strategy advances even in the face of an increase in negative public reaction on the eve of next year’s mid-term elections. 📱Download the g1 app to see news in real time and for free Since the beginning of his term, Trump authorized the sending of federal immigration agents to large American cities, where operations resulted in raids on residential neighborhoods and clashes with residents. See the videos that are trending on g1 Although some high-profile actions took place in companies throughout this year, authorities had largely avoided inspections of farms, factories and other economically strategic sectors that depend on immigrant labor without legal status. This scenario must change. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol will receive about $170 billion in additional resources through September 2029 — a significant jump from their current annual budgets, estimated at approximately $19 billion. The increase was approved in July by the Republican-controlled Congress as part of a broad spending package. According to government officials, the funds will allow it to hire thousands of new officers, open additional detention centers, increase the use of local jails for arrests and partner with private companies to locate immigrants without legal status. The increase in deportations occurs despite growing signs of political wear and tear. In Miami, one of the cities most impacted by immigration policy due to its large immigrant population, voters chose, last week, the first Democratic mayor in almost 30 years — a decision that the elected mayor attributed, in part, to her rejection of the federal government’s actions. Results from local elections and opinion polls also indicate greater concern among voters with the tactics adopted. “Increasingly, people stop seeing this just as an immigration issue and start seeing it as a violation of rights, due process and the unconstitutional militarization of neighborhoods,” said Mike Madrid, a moderate Republican strategist. “This undoubtedly represents a problem for the president and the party.” Trump’s approval of immigration policy fell from 50% in March — before the start of the most aggressive actions in large cities — to 41% in mid-December, precisely on the issue that became the main focus of his government. Some of the public unrest focuses on the use of masked federal agents and tactics considered excessive, such as the use of tear gas in residential areas and the detention of American citizens. US President Donald Trump signs executive orders at the White House on December 18, 2025 REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein ‘The numbers are going to explode’ In addition to reinforcing enforcement, Trump revoked the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of Haitian, Venezuelan and Afghan immigrants, expanding the universe of people subject to deportation. The president has promised to remove up to 1 million immigrants per year — a goal that is unlikely to be achieved by 2025. Since taking office in January, around 622,000 people have been deported. The White House’s so-called “border czar,” Tom Homan, told Reuters that the administration had fulfilled its promise to carry out a historic deportation operation while drastically reducing illegal immigration at the border with Mexico. According to him, the number of arrests should increase significantly with the hiring of new agents and the expansion of detention capacity. “You’re going to see these numbers explode next year,” Homan said, adding that plans “absolutely” include more workplace enforcement. For Sarah Pierce, policy director at the centrist group Third Way, American companies have avoided confronting the government’s migration policies in the last year, but that could change if the focus of operations turns directly to employers. “It will be interesting to see if companies will finally take a stand against this administration,” he said. Trump returned to the White House promising record levels of deportations, claiming the measure was necessary after years of high illegal immigration under the administration of his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden. Since then, the presence of federal agents in American cities has sparked protests and lawsuits over racial discrimination and excessive use of force. In several locations, businesses closed their doors to avoid inspections or due to a drop in traffic. Parents fearful of arrest kept their children out of school or asked neighbors for help. Some American citizens began to travel with passports as a precaution. Despite the official discourse focused on criminals, data from the government itself indicates that the Trump administration arrested proportionally more people without criminal records than previous governments. About 41% of the approximately 54,000 people detained by ICE as of the end of November had no criminal history other than alleged immigration violations. Before Trump’s inauguration, this rate was just 6%. The government also began targeting legal immigrants, with arrests during green card interviews, cancellations of naturalization ceremonies and revocation of thousands of student visas. Pressure on employers The expansion of inspections in workplaces could result in a significant increase in arrests, with relevant economic impacts. Businesspeople — many of them Republican voters — warn that replacing imprisoned workers could increase labor costs, making it difficult to combat inflation, which is expected to be one of the main themes of the November elections. Although the government initially spared certain sectors on Trump’s orders, that protection was later reversed. Advocates of tougher immigration policies say that oversight of employers is inevitable. “At some point, we need to hold these companies accountable,” said Jessica Vaughan, director of the Center for Immigration Studies. “When this starts, employers themselves will start to adapt.” ICE patrol car searches for illegal immigrants on the streets of the United States (illustrative image) Octavio Jones/Reuters

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