DHS Plans Nationwide Sanctuary City Enforcement Sweep Starting Feb. 24

Operation Set to Begin Before Dawn

The Department of Homeland Security will launch a nationwide interior enforcement sweep targeting migrants in sanctuary jurisdictions beginning Feb. 24, 2026, at 6 a.m. local time, according to two Border Patrol agents briefed on the plan. The operation, outlined in Enhanced Interior Enforcement Directive 2026-07 signed by DHS leadership on Feb. 21, will involve approximately 1,500 Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and 400 Border Patrol agents assigned to Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, the agents said.

The sweep will prioritize noncitizens with final removal orders, aggravated felony convictions, or outstanding immigration fugitive warrants, the agents said. Internal planning documents set a target of 3,000 arrests over 72 hours, with roughly 60 percent of the activity concentrated in Chicago and Denver, where ICE field offices have identified the largest backlogs of unexecuted removal orders, according to one of the agents.

Final coordination is scheduled for a secure video conference on Feb. 22, 2026, at 7 p.m. Eastern, the agents said. During the call, field supervisors will receive finalized target lists, radio frequencies, and liaison contacts for Texas Department of Public Safety troopers who will secure staging areas and highway corridors near San Antonio, according to a Texas law enforcement source with knowledge of the operation.

Staging, Flights, and Lodging

ICE has established a primary staging area at the enforcement facility at 4500 Perrin Beitel Road in San Antonio, where agents will assemble before boarding charter flights to their assigned cities, the two Border Patrol agents said. The agents will stay at the Crowne Plaza San Antonio Airport hotel on Northeast Interstate 410 Loop on the night of Feb. 23, with buses departing for the staging facility at 4 a.m. on Feb. 24, the agents said.

The operation will rely on two ICE Air Operations charter flights, designated OMEGA-14 and OMEGA-15, which will transport apprehended individuals from Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Denver International Airport to ICE processing centers in El Paso, Texas, and Harlingen, Texas, according to a DHS official familiar with the operation. The official said ICE has reserved additional bed space at the El Paso Service Processing Center and the Port Isabel Detention Center in Los Fresnos, Texas, to accommodate up to 600 detainees beyond normal capacity.

The Texas law enforcement source said DPS troopers will provide perimeter security at the Perrin Beitel Road staging facility and will run traffic control along Interstate 35 and Interstate 10 corridors used by ICE transport buses. The source said DPS commanders were notified of the deployment on Feb. 20 and that roughly 80 troopers will participate on rotating 12-hour shifts.

Safety Protocols and Sanctuary Responses

A DHS official familiar with the operation said agents have been instructed to serve administrative warrants only and to avoid confrontations with local police departments that refuse to honor immigration detainers. The official said the directive explicitly warns officers that sanctuary jurisdictions may issue public advisories or refuse access to county jails, requiring ICE to make arrests at residences, workplaces, or courthouses instead.

The official said DHS expects lawsuits to be filed by Feb. 26 in at least two of the target jurisdictions and that the department's Office of the General Counsel has prepared a litigation memo defending the operation under 8 U.S.C. 1226 and 8 U.S.C. 1231. The official also said ICE has instructed field offices to document any interference by local officials, including refusals to transfer custody or denials of entry to publicly owned buildings, for potential federal funding reviews under existing sanctuary-city restrictions.

Immigrant advocacy groups in Chicago and Denver have scheduled press conferences for Feb. 23 to warn communities about the operation, according to a community organizer who has seen the planning materials. The organizer said legal-aid groups are preparing to staff hotlines and to file habeas petitions at federal courthouses in the Northern District of Illinois and the District of Colorado.

Political Stakes and What to Watch

Conservative lawmakers briefed on the plan are expected to praise the operation as a test of the administration's ability to enforce immigration law in jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal agents. The DHS official said senior leaders view the 72-hour sweep as a pilot for a broader series of enforcement actions planned for March and April if arrest numbers and removal logistics meet internal benchmarks.

Critics are likely to argue that deploying Border Patrol agents away from the southwest border for interior enforcement will strain resources in Texas and Arizona sectors already reporting increased apprehensions this winter. One of the Border Patrol agents said the 400 agents represent roughly 4 percent of the Border Patrol's field strength and that their absence from the Del Rio and Rio Grande Valley sectors will be covered through overtime and National Guard support.

The Alamo Post will track arrest totals, legal filings, and any public statements by the targeted cities as the 72-hour sweep unfolds.