DHS Readies Multi-City Enforcement Operation Targeting Criminal Illegal Aliens for January 9

Operation Set for January 9

The Department of Homeland Security is preparing a coordinated immigration enforcement sweep across at least six U.S. cities beginning January 9, according to two Border Patrol agents assigned to planning and a DHS official familiar with the operation. The operation will target illegal aliens with criminal convictions or outstanding removal orders, the sources said, with an emphasis on jurisdictions that have limited cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

The targeted cities include Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Denver, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, according to the DHS official. Planning documents reviewed by The Alamo Post describe the operation as a continuation of stepped-up enforcement that began in the final quarter of 2025, the official said. The operation is expected to involve personnel from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and federal law enforcement partners.

Two Border Patrol agents said the operation has been discussed internally since mid-December, with a final planning meeting held January 5 at ICE headquarters in Washington. One agent said the operation is expected to begin with pre-dawn actions at locations identified through immigration court records and criminal databases. The agents spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss operational plans.

The operation will draw heavily from ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations teams, according to the DHS official. The official said approximately 400 additional ICE officers are being deployed to the six cities from field offices in Texas, Arizona, and Florida. The officers began arriving on January 4 and are staying at hotels near the Baltimore field office, which is serving as a regional coordination hub, the official said.

The criminal targets include individuals convicted of assault, domestic violence, sexual offenses, drug distribution, and weapons charges, according to one of the Border Patrol agents. The agent said ICE databases identified roughly 3,200 targets across the six cities, though not all will be arrested in the initial phase because of resource limits and privacy restrictions. The second agent said the operation will also target recent arrivals who crossed the border after July 1, 2025, and have exhausted their immigration court appeals.

Sanctuary Jurisdictions in Focus

The operation appears designed in part to test cooperation limits in sanctuary jurisdictions, the DHS official said. Cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles have policies that restrict local law enforcement from notifying ICE before releasing inmates or from honoring immigration detainers. The official said ICE field offices in those cities requested additional personnel after local agencies declined to participate in targeted operations during December.

A Texas law enforcement source with knowledge of the planning said state and local agencies in Texas have been asked to provide limited logistical support, though the operation does not center on Texas. The source said the request came through a regional task force coordinating federal, state, and local efforts under Operation Lone Star, the state-led border security initiative launched in 2021. The Texas source said the request included intelligence sharing and transport assistance for any detainees moved through Texas airfields.

The planned operation follows a memorandum issued by department leadership on December 12, 2025, that directed ICE to prioritize arrests of illegal aliens charged with or convicted of violent crimes, drug trafficking, and drunk driving. The memo also instructed ICE to expand the use of expedited removal for recent border crossers who do not qualify for asylum. Two congressional aides briefed on the plan said the memo was circulated after a December 10 meeting at the White House that included homeland security advisers and Justice Department officials.

Previous enforcement surges in November and December 2025 resulted in roughly 2,400 arrests combined, according to internal figures reviewed by the DHS official. The official said the January operation is intended to surpass those monthly totals within its first week. ICE detention facilities in Texas and Louisiana have been instructed to prepare bed space for the new arrivals, the official said.

What Happens Next

White House officials are expected to announce the operation publicly once arrests begin, according to the DHS official. The official said preliminary estimates project between 1,200 and 1,800 arrests during the first 72 hours, though the number could shift based on operational conditions. Immigration advocacy groups have begun preparing legal challenges and public demonstrations in at least three of the targeted cities, according to organizers who declined to be named.

Congressional Republicans are likely to frame the operation as fulfillment of campaign pledges to restore border security, while Democrats are expected to criticize the sweep as overly broad. Two congressional aides briefed on the plan said the House Homeland Security Committee has requested a classified briefing for committee members scheduled for January 13. The aides spoke on condition of anonymity because the briefing had not been publicly announced.

The operation is scheduled to continue through at least January 15, the DHS official said. Major outlets including the Associated Press, Reuters, and CNN had not reported the operation as of Monday evening. The DHS official said ICE leadership plans to hold a press conference on January 10 if the first day produces the expected number of arrests.