Jan. 18 (UPI) — President-elect Donald Trump‘s incoming administration plans to immediately order a series of deportation raids targeting illegal immigrants, according to multiple reports Saturday.
Chicago is expected to be the first major city targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as part of Operation Safeguard, the New York Times reported, citing two people familiar with planning the undertaking.
The massive deportation operation is expected to target criminals and gang members in the United States illegally and run for one week.
Trump has promised to conduct the largest deportation program in U.S. history, both during his presidential campaign and as part of his post-election rhetoric.
Up to 200 ICE agents are being sent to Chicago to help kick off the operation on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported. The agency has already asked agents to volunteer for the post-inauguration raids.
“There’s gonna be a big raid across the country,” Tom Homan, who will be in charge of U.S. borders once Trump takes office, told Fox News in an interview.
Homan has previously said he will instruct ICE agents to carry out raids on illegal immigrants at their workplaces.
In addition to Chicago, the sweeping crackdown will also target other major U.S. cities with large immigrant populations.
Trump is said to be prioritizing so-called sanctuary cities, where municipal officials have previously offered limited cooperation with federal immigration officials on the deportation front.
Under President Joe Biden‘s administration, ICE agents have generally limited their involvement to illegal immigrants perceived to be national security threats, those with serious criminal records and people having recently crossed the border into the United States.
New York Mayor Eric Adams recently met with Trump and signaled his city’s willingness to work with the new administration.
Trump is set to take the oath of office Monday, with cold weather forcing the inauguration to take place indoors.