Trump planning massive immigration raids in Chicago on day two of his administration: Report

US President-elect Donald Trump is planning massive immigration raid in Chicago on day two of his administration, reported the Wall Street Journal Friday (Jan 17).

The paper reported, citing four officials involved in the planning, that raids may continue for a week, starting Tuesday. The report added that around 200 officers of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be deployed to carry out the operation.

Later, news agency Reuters quoted a Trump official as saying that similar enforcement measures will be taken across the country and there will be no special focus on the Chicago city.

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“We’re going to be doing operations all across the country,” the person said. “You’re going to see arrests in New York. You’re going to see arrests in Miami.”

This comes after Tom Homan, Trump’s incoming border czar, said in an event in Chicago that the administration’s anti-immigration efforts were "going to start right here in Chicago, Illinois."

"And if the Chicago mayor doesn’t want to help, he can step aside. But if he impedes us, if he knowingly harbors or conceals an illegal alien, I will prosecute him," he was quoted as saying by the WSJ.

Why Chicago?

According to insiders, Chicago has been chosen to start the operation owing to its large immigration population. Of the city’s 2.6 million residents, about 20 per cent are foreign-born. Last year, the Republican state of Texas bused over 50,000 migrants to the city to protest border policies of outgoing President Joe Biden.

The issue of immigration was at the centre of Trump’s presidential campaign. Trump in January last year promised that he will undertake “largest domestic deportation operation in American history" within moments of his inauguration.

The incoming US leader is expected to rally all US agencies behind him as he plans to deport record number of immigrants.

(With inputs from agencies)