ICE to Intensify Operations in Sanctuary Cities After Labor Day, Trump’s Border Czar Warns

• ICE to Intensify Immigration Operations
• Chicago to Be Main Target
• Sanctuary Cities Reject Measures

According to Univision, the administration of President Donald Trump plans to ramp up immigration operations in several major U.S. cities after the Labor Day holiday.

This was confirmed by Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, who said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will increase its presence in sanctuary cities governed by Democrats.

Homan stated that there will be a visible increase in agents and operations, with a particular focus on Chicago.

“There will absolutely be an increase in operations in Chicago,” the official declared on Thursday.

Federal Operations Planned in Chicago

➡️ Trump’s border czar says ICE will “intensify” operations in ‘sanctuary cities’ after Labor Day.. https://t.co/ofT5LCzBUq

— Univision Noticias (@UniNoticias) August 28, 2025

He also mentioned that other cities will be under federal scrutiny.

“There will be an increase in operations in New York, an increase in operations in Los Angeles, and, you know, Portland, Seattle,” he added.

Although he did not specify figures, Homan assured that it would be a “large contingent” deployed in the coming weeks.

“We’re not going to say how many resources we’re sending; we don’t want the bad guys to know what we’re going to deploy,” he said.

ICE to Intensify Operations Despite Opposition

The official also addressed rumors about the use of military facilities in Chicago as a base of operations.

He acknowledged that the idea is under discussion, although planning remains ongoing.

President Trump had already indicated earlier this week that Chicago would be a key target in his offensive against crime and undocumented immigration.

Recently, the administration mobilized 2,000 National Guard troops to Washington, D.C.

Clash With Sanctuary Cities

Similarly, since early June, soldiers, ICE agents, and Border Patrol officers have been deployed to Los Angeles.

The decision is part of the federal government’s confrontation with so-called sanctuary cities.

Homan has repeatedly stated that these jurisdictions “refuse to cooperate with ICE” and described their policies as shelters for criminals.

“Last week I visited the sanctuary cities of San Diego, Portland, Seattle, and Tacoma,” he wrote on social media.

Court Rulings Against the White House

The official insisted that the president and he would not ignore federal laws or turn their backs on communities affected by criminal immigrants.

“Sanctuary cities are only sanctuaries for criminals,” he asserted, criticizing state and local leaders.

The Trump administration has also sought to apply financial pressure on these jurisdictions.

In April, the president signed an executive order to withdraw federal funding from cities that limit cooperation with immigration enforcement.

Chicago Prepares for Deployment

However, last Friday a federal judge in California blocked that measure.

Judge William Orrick extended a preliminary injunction prohibiting the conditioning of federal funds for cities such as Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, and more than 30 other jurisdictions.

Despite the ruling, Trump and his team continue to push for an offensive with more immigration operations.

The city of Chicago is now preparing for a deployment whose details have not yet been specified.