{"id":5871,"date":"2026-02-13T05:14:46","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T05:14:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jubaglobal.com\/?p=5871"},"modified":"2026-02-13T05:14:47","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T05:14:47","slug":"u-s-immigration-enforcement-surge-under-trump-14800-arrests-in-first-24-days-congressional-hearing-turns-explosive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/u-s-immigration-enforcement-surge-under-trump-14800-arrests-in-first-24-days-congressional-hearing-turns-explosive\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Immigration Enforcement Surge Under Trump: 14,800 Arrests in First 24 Days, Congressional Hearing Turns Explosive"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Juba Global News Network Staff<\/strong>
JubaGlobal.com<\/strong>
February 13, 2026 \u2013 Juba, South Sudan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The second Trump administration\u2019s immigration crackdown has moved at a pace unmatched in modern U.S. history. In the 24 days since President Donald Trump\u2019s January 20 inauguration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reported 14,800 administrative arrests of individuals subject to removal orders \u2014 a daily average more than triple the rate recorded during the final year of the Biden presidency. The figures, presented during a contentious February 10 hearing of the House Committee on Homeland Security, have become both a point of pride for the administration and a lightning rod for critics who accuse it of pursuing mass deportation at the expense of due process, family unity, and humanitarian norms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hearing: \u201cWe Are Only Getting Started\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Acting ICE Director Patrick Lechleitner, and CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott faced more than five hours of questioning. Secretary Noem opened with a blunt assessment:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cThe American people gave President Trump a mandate to end catch-and-release, restore border sovereignty, and enforce the laws as written. In less than a month we have already arrested more removable noncitizens than many entire months under the previous administration. And we are only getting started.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

She cited the reactivation of several family residential detention centers in Texas, the rapid expansion of 287(g) agreements with local law enforcement, and the resumption of large-scale worksite enforcement operations \u2014 214 actions in the first three weeks compared with just 12 in all of fiscal year 2024. Noem also highlighted that roughly 84% of those arrested had criminal convictions or pending charges, though she made clear that the new enforcement priority encompasses \u201call removable aliens,\u201d not only those with criminal records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Democratic members of the committee, led by Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D-MS), countered with emotional testimonies and photographic evidence. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) displayed images of young children reportedly detained alongside parents during early-morning raids in sanctuary cities. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) read statements from mothers separated from U.S.-citizen children and warned of a return to \u201czero-tolerance family separation policies by another name.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Policy Changes Driving the Surge<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The administration has implemented a multi-pronged strategy since day one:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Nationwide expedited removal<\/strong> \u2014 expanded beyond the 100-mile border zone to the entire interior of the United States for individuals unable to prove two years of continuous presence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. End of most humanitarian parole programs<\/strong> \u2014 including CHNV (Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela) and significant curtailment of CBP One appointments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS)<\/strong> designations for over 700,000 people from Haiti, Venezuela, Sudan, Ukraine, and other countries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Reinstatement and expansion of Migrant Protection Protocols (\u201cRemain in Mexico\u201d)<\/strong> \u2014 now applied to most single adults and many families.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Revival of Title 42-style public-health expulsions<\/strong> \u2014 using new Centers for Disease Control authorities citing ongoing fentanyl and tuberculosis concerns.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Massive increase in ICE detention capacity<\/strong> \u2014 daily population has risen from ~19,000 to over 41,000, with new contracts signed in Louisiana, Texas, and Arizona.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Human and Community Impact<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Immigration attorneys and advocacy groups report widespread fear in mixed-status communities. In Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Houston, school attendance among children of undocumented parents has dropped 12\u201318% since late January, according to preliminary data from several large urban districts. Catholic Charities and other service providers say requests for emergency food, legal aid, and temporary shelter have risen sharply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Several high-profile incidents have fueled the debate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • A 7-year-old U.S. citizen girl with asthma was reportedly detained for 14 hours with her undocumented mother during a workplace raid in Georgia.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • In Arizona, ICE officers arrested a DACA recipient who had missed a routine check-in due to hospitalization.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • In Texas, a Honduran TPS holder with no criminal record was detained after a routine traffic stop.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      The administration insists all actions comply with existing law and that humanitarian exceptions are being made on a case-by-case basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Legal and Political Headwinds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      At least nine federal lawsuits have been filed since January 20 challenging various aspects of the crackdown. Early motions for preliminary injunctions are pending in courts in California, New York, Massachusetts, Washington, D.C., and Texas. Key legal questions include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • Whether nationwide expedited removal violates due process for long-term residents.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Whether abrupt TPS terminations constitute arbitrary agency action under the Administrative Procedure Act.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Whether expanded use of military personnel and aircraft for detainee transport violates the Posse Comitatus Act.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        On Capitol Hill, Republicans control both chambers and have signaled strong support for supplemental funding to expand detention beds, hire more deportation officers, and accelerate removal flights. Democrats have introduced legislation to limit interior enforcement and protect TPS holders, though passage appears unlikely without bipartisan compromise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Public Opinion and International Reaction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        Recent polling shows deep polarization: a Rasmussen survey found 59% of likely voters approve of the current enforcement pace, while a Pew poll indicated 67% of Democrats consider the measures \u201cexcessive\u201d or \u201cinhumane.\u201d Internationally, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and several Latin American governments have expressed concern over family separations and mass detention conditions. Mexico and Colombia have quietly increased repatriation cooperation while publicly criticizing the humanitarian impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Looking Ahead<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        DHS officials acknowledge that current detention capacity is nearing its practical limit and that diplomatic negotiations with receiving countries will be critical to sustaining deportation numbers. Secretary Noem has already signaled plans to seek emergency supplemental appropriations from Congress and hinted at forthcoming regulations that could further expand expedited removal and reinstate third-country asylum agreements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        For millions of undocumented immigrants, mixed-status families, and the communities in which they live, the first month of the Trump administration has brought fear, disruption, and uncertainty on a scale not seen since 2017\u20132018. Whether the current pace proves sustainable \u2014 legally, logistically, politically, and morally \u2014 will likely define one of the central domestic-policy battles of 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Juba Global News Network will continue to follow the enforcement surge, legal challenges, and human consequences, delivering balanced reporting from our vantage point in East Africa as this rapidly evolving story unfolds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        By Juba Global News Network StaffJubaGlobal.comFebruary 13, 2026 \u2013 Juba, South Sudan The second Trump…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1426,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[830,1,806],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-news","category-united-states"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5871","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1426"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5871"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5871\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5873,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5871\/revisions\/5873"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5871"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5871"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5871"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}