White House vows to continue immigration crackdown after midterm defeat

White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told the BBC and CBS News that the administration “will not slow down its efforts to arrest and deport” people it describes as criminal immigrants living in the US illegally. The Department of Homeland Security also told CBS that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was not “backing away or slowing down”.

Democrats won majorities in both chambers of Congress in the 3 November elections and will take control in January. Three days after the vote, President Donald Trump appointed Stephen Miller, a chief architect of his hardline immigration policies, as White House chief of staff.

Four US immigration officials told Reuters they had seen no signs that the administration would ease its approach. Separately, ICE sources told CBS that officials had recently been instructed to aim for about 2,700 arrests a day, up from a previous target of 2,000. CBS said the new target was set before the election.

The statements promise continued enforcement but do not rule out changes in tactics. After the election, Vice-President JD Vance said he was open to changing enforcement, for example by focusing more on businesses that hire workers in the country illegally.

In a CBS exit poll, 58% of voters nationwide said the administration’s deportation crackdown had gone too far. CBS also reported that officials said the administration attributed its losses largely to concerns about the economy, affordability and the war with Iran, rather than immigration enforcement.

Earlier this year, the administration scaled back a federal immigration surge in Minnesota after agents fatally shot two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Border adviser Tom Homan said at the time that immigration enforcement would continue.

Democrats will gain greater powers to scrutinise the administration when they take control of Congress, but their ability to change policy will be constrained by Trump’s presidential veto and funding already allocated for immigration enforcement.