After public backlash against aggressive immigration tactics, the Trump administration pivoted to a strategy dubbed “soft feet.” This marked a stark departure from the “siege” mentality that characterized previous raids, where ICE agents in armored vehicles invaded residential neighborhoods. Masked officers patrolled parks and hovered outside schools, seizing individuals off the streets.
In February, Trump acknowledged the need for a gentler approach, stating, “I learned that maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch.” He appointed Markwayne Mullin as secretary of homeland security, who promised to reduce the agency's visibility in the media. “My goal in six months is that we’re not in the lead story every single day,” Mullin told the Senate during his confirmation hearing in March.
Six months later, ICE is omnipresent. Reports indicate that arrests are occurring in everyday settings. A Cuban man in Miami was detained after stepping outside to throw away trash. In Danbury, Connecticut, an Ecuadorian father was arrested moments after seeing his son onto a school bus. Individuals are being seized while pumping gas, forced to leave their vehicles unattended, or simply commuting to work.
The new tactics have not eliminated violence associated with ICE operations. Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, a Venezuelan asylum seeker, was shot by an agent in Austin, Texas, after a deportation order was issued due to a missed court appearance. He left the hospital with a bullet lodged near his spine, only to be taken into ICE custody afterward. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, a Guatemalan man died in a crash while fleeing from federal agents.
Despite the softer approach, the reality of detentions remains harsh. “The detentions are happening in a flash – we’re talking, like, 90 seconds from the time ICE shows up to that person being driven away,” said immigration attorney Willis. He noted that agents are operating quietly, moving with “very soft feet.”
Chandler Rebel, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), confirmed the agency's focus on airports and stated, “DHS will not disclose or discuss law enforcement operations, strategy or tactics.” However, Rebel emphasized that DHS is working to ensure that non-citizens cannot fly domestically unless they leave the country voluntarily.
Fueled by a $75 billion budget from Congress, the DHS has more than doubled its workforce to over 22,000 this year. The agency has significantly expanded its reach by collaborating with local law enforcement agencies, signing over 2,500 287(g) agreements by September 15. These partnerships allow ICE to operate seamlessly within local police forces, leading to increased detentions.
An operation at the El Corralón bar in Memphis on August 29 illustrates this collaboration. Initially intended as a raid targeting illegal gambling, the police operation transformed into one of the largest sweeps of undocumented immigrants in Tennessee, resulting in the detention of 120 individuals. Witnesses recounted that agents entered the bar, turned off the music, and questioned patrons about their legal status.
A DHS spokesperson claimed that cooperation with local law enforcement is essential for effective immigration enforcement. “We have had tremendous success when local law enforcement works together with us,” Rebel said.
Legal experts express concern about the implications of local law enforcement's involvement in immigration policy. “People are getting detained if they don’t have their green card on them. They’re getting stopped even if they have legal status,” said Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, an immigration attorney in Austin.
Lincoln-Goldfinch represents Brian José Morales García, a 25-year-old who was deported to Mexico despite being a U.S. citizen born in Denver. Morales García was traveling to work when officers from the Gillespie County sheriff’s department and the Texas Department of Public Safety pulled over his vehicle. Despite his claims of having a birth certificate and social security card at home, he was taken into custody and later deported.
The federal government eventually reached an agreement with Morales García, but the incident raises alarming questions about the complexities of immigration enforcement and local law enforcement's role in it. The invisibility of ICE operations, combined with the swift nature of arrests, creates an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty for many communities. ICE's tactics may have shifted from overt raids to a more subdued presence, but the consequences for individuals caught in its grasp remain severe.
According to The Guardian.
