[author: Laura Anne Schierhoff]

On February 13, 2017, Secretary John Kelly of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, released a statement regarding the recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. According to the statement, Secretary Kelly acknowledged that ICE has conducted a series of targeted enforcement operations across the country and arrested more than 680 individuals who he claims “pose a threat to public safety, border security or the integrity of our nation’s immigration system.” Secretary Kelly stated that ICE “conducts these kind of targeted enforcement operations regularly and has for many years.” During his Presidential campaign, Trump vowed to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. The Trump Administration has made immigration enforcement a key focus.