Speaking at the Border Security Expo in Phoenix, White House border czar and former acting ICE director Tom Homan promised an unprecedented increase in immigration-enforcement operations targeting so-called sanctuary cities and states. “If you think last year’s historic number was good, wait until next year … Mass deportations are coming,” Homan told more than 2,000 attendees, warning that jurisdictions that restrict cooperation under 287(g) agreements will be “flooded” with federal agents. Homan’s remarks come as the administration faces criticism over aggressive workplace raids in Los Angeles, Memphis and Minneapolis. He dismissed calls to limit arrests in sensitive locations such as churches and schools and pledged that ICE would make collateral arrests of any undocumented immigrant encountered during operations, regardless of criminal record. Progressive lawmakers in New York have introduced a bill to bar local police from partnering with ICE—legislation Homan singled out as a trigger for escalated enforcement. For corporate travel and mobility programmes the rhetoric signals heightened enforcement risk in major business hubs. Employees without status or with pending applications could face arrest well outside border zones.
![White House border czar vows ‘mass deportations’ and ICE surge against sanctuary jurisdictions]()
Amid this uncertainty, travellers and employers may benefit from VisaHQ’s streamlined visa and passport services, which provide real-time status tracking and expert guidance on U.S. documentation requirements—helping organisations keep their international workforce compliant before enforcement actions intensify. More information can be found at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/
Companies with large immigrant workforces should revisit “know-your-rights” training, ensure rapid-response legal hotlines are current, and review workplace-raid protocols, especially for sites located in sanctuary jurisdictions. Travel managers may also see indirect effects: past surges have generated secondary inspections at airports and lengthier screenings for foreign nationals whose names resemble enforcement targets. Advisers recommend allowing extra connection time for domestic flights following international arrivals, updating travel-risk assessments for high-profile meetings in New York and California, and briefing executives on potential media exposure if workplace enforcement actions occur. While the timeline for the promised surge is unclear, mobility leaders should assume stepped-up ICE activity through the summer and adjust compliance practices accordingly.
Amid this uncertainty, travellers and employers may benefit from VisaHQ’s streamlined visa and passport services, which provide real-time status tracking and expert guidance on U.S. documentation requirements—helping organisations keep their international workforce compliant before enforcement actions intensify. More information can be found at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/
Companies with large immigrant workforces should revisit “know-your-rights” training, ensure rapid-response legal hotlines are current, and review workplace-raid protocols, especially for sites located in sanctuary jurisdictions. Travel managers may also see indirect effects: past surges have generated secondary inspections at airports and lengthier screenings for foreign nationals whose names resemble enforcement targets. Advisers recommend allowing extra connection time for domestic flights following international arrivals, updating travel-risk assessments for high-profile meetings in New York and California, and briefing executives on potential media exposure if workplace enforcement actions occur. While the timeline for the promised surge is unclear, mobility leaders should assume stepped-up ICE activity through the summer and adjust compliance practices accordingly.
