Drug Enforcement Administration agents, IRS agents, and the military are all actively involved in the Trump administration's efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and carry out mass deportations. This comprehensive approach has extended beyond the Department of Homeland Security, traditionally responsible for immigration and border security functions.
President Trump's administration has made immigration enforcement a priority across nearly every major Cabinet agency. The State Department, Defense Department, and Justice Department have all emphasized immigration in their work and public communications. Additionally, parts of the Treasury and Health and Human Services departments have been engaged in immigration-related activities.
The State Department has been working on deportation agreements with countries like Guatemala, Panama, and El Salvador to facilitate the removal of deportees. The Defense Department has increased troop presence at the U.S.-Mexico border and utilized Air Force planes for deportation flights. The Justice Department has targeted 'sanctuary cities' and enlisted various agencies in ICE operations to arrest migrants in the country illegally.
Other departments, such as the Internal Revenue Service, have been enlisted to target employers with unlawful hiring practices. The administration has also suspended a program providing legal services to migrant children and is considering involving the Department of Labor in worksite enforcement.
In a recent executive order, President Trump aims to end federal benefits for individuals in the U.S. illegally. The order directs all departments and agencies to identify federal benefit spending inconsistent with a 1996 welfare law that restricts public benefits for those in the country illegally.
