Since Trump took office again in January, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested more than 32,000 illegal immigrants and deported almost 30,000.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has formally extended its “Finding of Mass Influx of Aliens,” a legal designation that preserves expanded immigration enforcement powers across the United States and keeps state and local law enforcement in the fight against illegal immigration.
The renewed declaration—set to be published in the Federal Register on March 25—continues the emergency authority first invoked on Jan. 23, shortly after President Donald Trump’s second inauguration.
The extension allows DHS to maintain cooperation with local agencies under provisions of federal law that enable non-federal officers—such as local police officers—to assist in federal immigration enforcement during periods of mass illegal border crossings.
“An actual or imminent mass influx of aliens is arriving at the southern border of the United States and presents urgent circumstances requiring an immediate federal response,” wrote Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who formally requested the assistance of state and local governments in all 50 states.
Noem emphasized that the emergency designation remains essential to keeping illegal immigration levels in check. Without it, she warned, border crossings are likely to surge again before DHS can regain operational control.
The move supports Trump’s campaign pledge to launch the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, focused on individuals who entered the country illegally during the Biden administration. The DHS notice cites at least 8 million illegal crossings over the past four years and warns that “countless millions more” likely evaded detection.
The Numbers
Estimates of the total number of illegal immigrants in the United States vary widely. DHS estimated the illegal immigrant population at 11 million as of January 2022. The Center for Immigration Studies placed the figure at 12.3 million in a May 2023 report, while the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) offered an estimate of 16.8 million in June 2023.
By Tom Ozimek
