Immigration and Customs Enforcement has scrapped its long-standing paperwork requirement before arrests, a change that critics say paves the way for faster but less accountable detentions. The move, reportedly aligned with Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, has raised concerns of unchecked power and increased racial profiling. Former ICE officials warn the absence of documentation puts both civilians and agents at greater risk.
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Paperwork Requirement Abandoned
Previously, ICE agents were required to fill out detailed forms before making arrests. These included information such as the individual’s name, appearance, address, immigration and criminal history, and employment records. The only exception was when ICE cooperated with local law enforcement. In recent months, this safeguard was quietly discarded, with some officials dismissing it as “a waste of time.”
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Former Officials Speak Out
Darius Reeves, former director of ICE’s Baltimore field office, confirmed the change. “It’s hard to fill out a worksheet that just says, ‘Meet in the Home Depot parking lot,’” another ex-official told NBC News, underscoring how vague operations often made the paperwork process impractical. Current and former agents said the new approach accelerates arrests but removes accountability.
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Mass Arrests Pressure
Reports reveal that ICE’s current strategy prioritizes large-scale sweeps rather than focusing on individuals with criminal records. Back in May, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller allegedly threatened to fire ICE agents unless they made at least 3,000 arrests daily. Critics argue this quota-driven approach has shifted ICE away from targeted enforcement toward indiscriminate detentions.
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Court Order Blocked
In July, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking ICE from using race or language as grounds for arrest. The ruling led to a significant decline in arrests, with the Cato Institute reporting a 66 percent drop in Los Angeles. However, the Supreme Court overturned that order on Monday, effectively allowing ICE to resume racial profiling during enforcement operations.
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Expanded Profiling Risks
With the restraining order lifted, ICE can again carry out broad sweeps in major cities including Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and soon Chicago. Civil rights advocates warn this opens the door to increased profiling and widespread detentions of people without criminal records, undermining due process protections.
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Legal Consequences Possible
Some legal experts note that the eliminated paperwork requirement once served as protection for ICE officers as well. Without it, arrests made without probable cause could expose agents to lawsuits. A former ICE chief counsel in Dallas emphasized that the documentation was not only a safeguard for civilians but also shielded agents from liability.