Memo: ICE Told to Enter Homes Without Warrants as Trump Mass Deportations Intensify

MINNEAPOLIS — In a major shift that has sent shockwaves through immigrant communities and legal circles alike, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have been issued new directives authorizing them to enter private residences to make arrests without a judge’s warrant. The move, part of a broader acceleration of the Trump administration’s mass deportation strategy, represents a departure from long-standing protocols designed to protect Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures.

The policy change was first reported in Minneapolis, where local advocates and legal experts say the administration is testing the limits of executive power. According to a report by the Associated Press, “ICE officers are being told they can enter homes to make arrests without a judge’s warrant,” a practice previously restricted by internal agency guidelines that require judicial oversight for most residential entries.

A New Era of Enforcement

The directive comes as the White House doubles down on its promise to execute the largest domestic deportation operation in American history. For years, ICE agents typically relied on administrative warrants—signed by immigration officials rather than judges—which did not legally authorize them to enter a home without the occupant’s consent. Under the new guidance, however, agents are being encouraged to utilize “exigent circumstances” and broader interpretations of their enforcement authority to bypass these hurdles.

In Minneapolis, the atmosphere is increasingly tense. Civil rights organizations report a surge in door-to-door enforcement actions, with many residents unaware of their right to remain silent or deny entry. Legal clinics have been flooded with calls from families seeking advice on how to handle agents who arrive without court-ordered documentation.

Legal and Constitutional Challenges

Constitutional scholars warn that the new policy sits on shaky legal ground. The Fourth Amendment protects individuals from “unreasonable searches and seizures” and generally requires a warrant based on probable cause, signed by a neutral magistrate, for law enforcement to enter a home.

“This is a direct assault on the sanctity of the home,” said Maria Hernandez, a Minneapolis-based immigration attorney. “By circumventing the judicial process, the administration is effectively saying that a person’s constitutional protections depend on their immigration status. That is a dangerous precedent to set.”

The administration, however, maintains that the urgency of national security and public safety justifies the aggressive tactics. Officials argue that the backlog in the judicial system makes obtaining warrants for every individual targeted for deportation a logistical impossibility that hinders their mission to secure the border and interior.

Quoting the Associated Press

The shift in tactics is not just a localized issue but a nationwide mandate. According to the Associated Press, the administration has sought to empower field offices with more autonomy to meet deportation quotas. The Associated Press reported that the new instructions are intended to streamline the arrest of individuals with final orders of removal, even if those individuals have no criminal record beyond their immigration status.

Advocates argue that this “streamlining” often leads to collateral arrests—taking into custody anyone present at the scene, regardless of whether they were the original target. This has led to the separation of families and the detention of long-term residents who have deep roots in their communities.

The Impact on Minneapolis

In Minneapolis, city officials have expressed concern over the impact on public trust. Though the city has historically identified as a “sanctuary” jurisdiction, local police are finding themselves caught between federal mandates and local policies designed to protect immigrant neighbors.

“When federal agents enter homes without warrants, it creates a climate of fear that extends far beyond the immigrant community,” a city council member stated during a recent town hall. “It makes people afraid to call the police, to go to work, or to send their children to school.”

As the administration continues to push the boundaries of immigration enforcement, the battle is expected to move into the federal courts. Civil rights groups have already begun filing lawsuits to halt the practice, arguing that administrative convenience cannot override the Bill of Rights. For now, however, the doors of Minneapolis remain a frontline in the intensifying national debate over immigration, law, and the limits of presidential power.

Source: Associated Press