Behind closed doors, ICE is casting a wider net than ever before

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has escalated its interior enforcement campaign, tripling its daily arrest goal from around 1,000 to 3,000. This shift, detailed in a June 2025 Los Angeles Times investigation, represents a significant broadening of ICE's priorities, moving beyond individuals with serious criminal backgrounds to include anyone with a final deportation order.

ICE is now employing a dual-track targeting strategy that combines planned raids on businesses and random sweeps at places where workers gather. Since June 6, over 350 arrests have been made in L.A. as the government shifts its immigration enforcement strategies. 

ICE agents are now targeting Home Depot stores and other places where day laborers look for work. They have raided Home Depot locations in L.A., Huntington Park, Santa Ana, and Pomona. Agents arrive early in the morning in unmarked cars to catch workers who come looking for construction and cleaning jobs. Local officials say this approach resembles a military operation more than typical immigration enforcement, according to a report by the L.A. Times.

The change happened because President Donald Trump administration officials were frustrated that ICE wasn't making enough arrests. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller ordered immigration agents in late May to expand their targets. He suggested going after Home Depot parking lots and 7-Eleven stores because agents could quickly arrest many people at these locations.

ICE also targets businesses based on tips from the public that can take years to investigate. The agency raided Buona Forchetta restaurants in San Diego after getting a tip five years ago about fake documents. They investigated the restaurants for years before getting search warrants and making arrests.

When ICE investigates businesses, they look for patterns of fake documents and poor working conditions and labor practices. In the San Diego restaurant case, they found workers using stolen Social Security numbers and evidence of long work shifts without breaks.

ICE has also targeted clothing factories in downtown L.A., including Ambiance Apparel. The company states that it adheres to hiring laws and only employs individuals who are authorized to work in the U.S. However, few details about why the factory was raided have been made public.

“We have reached out to the government to try to learn more about this raid but have not yet learned anything more about it. Ambiance will continue to both follow the law and support its employees, many of whom have been with us for decades,” said Benjamin Gluck, a lawyer representing Ambiance. 

The agency uses high-tech surveillance tools to track people online. ICE contractors monitor over 200 websites and social media platforms to find information about targets. This helps agents plan raids and track people's daily activities and relationships.

ICE's biometric identification systems provide additional targeting capabilities through the Homeland Advanced Recognition Technology system, which stores hundreds of millions of records, including fingerprints, facial images, and behavioral identifiers. The system enables agents to quickly identify individuals during field operations and cross-reference them against immigration databases.

The agency is also watching social media for people who criticize ICE operations. Government contracts show ICE wants to monitor negative comments about the agency online. This means people who speak out against immigration enforcement could become targets themselves.

The agency also uses artificial intelligence to predict which people are most likely to avoid immigration enforcement. ICE uses the "Hurricane Score," which rates individuals based on their likelihood of appearing in court or adhering to immigration rules.

ICE can access tax records and Social Security information to find undocumented immigrants. The agency examines individuals who pay taxes using special identification numbers and tracks their employment history. This comprehensive data access allows for sophisticated targeting based on financial and employment patterns, according to a report from Biometric Update.

ICE's workplace auditing process has also intensified. The agency is expected to conduct between 12,000 and 15,000 I-9 employment verification audits in 2025, compared to fewer than 50 annually in previous years. These audits often precede enforcement actions and provide legal justification for workplace raids.

Multi-agency coordination enhances targeting effectiveness. ICE now collaborates with other federal agencies, including the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and local law enforcement, when permitted. This collaboration provides additional resources and expertise for complex enforcement operations targeting both individuals and employers, according to an article from the Washington Post.

ICE's current targeting approach represents a comprehensive strategy that combines traditional immigration enforcement with modern surveillance technology, political directives for increased arrests, and military-style tactics designed to catch as many people as possible while giving communities little warning about when and where raids will happen.

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