Trump Targets California in Immigration Purge, Threatens Troops for Crackdown

Federal immigration enforcement is tightening as the Trump administration replaces senior field directors at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), citing poor arrest totals. The shake-up coincides with Donald Trump’s suggestion that the U.S. military could be deployed to strengthen immigration enforcement.

According to the Los Angeles Times on October 29, ICE will replace directors across 12 field offices, including Los Angeles and San Diego. Half of the new appointees reportedly come from the Customs and Border Protection (CBP), while the remaining six are expected to be chosen directly by Greg Bovino, head of the U.S. Border Patrol’s California sector.

Bovino, known for leading major raids in Los Angeles and Chicago, is seen as a key figure in Trump’s immigration agenda. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) even shared a video of his enforcement operations on its official Instagram account on October 28, highlighting his work.

The personnel reshuffle reflects growing dissatisfaction within the White House over ICE’s results. Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff overseeing Trump’s immigration policy, had set a target of 3,000 arrests per day, but performance has reportedly fallen short. Deborah Fleischaker, who served at DHS during the Biden administration, warned that “this appointment injects a military-style culture from the Border Patrol into ICE, which could be dangerous when applied in urban areas.”

Meanwhile, Trump has hinted at deploying regular troops to support domestic immigration operations. Speaking aboard the USS George Washington docked at Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan on October 28, he stated, “We are already deploying National Guard troops to troubled cities, and if necessary, we will send even more forces.”

Conservative outlet Newsmax reported on October 29 that Trump is prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 if courts attempt to block National Guard deployments—granting authority to use federal troops within the United States to maintain order.

BY KYEONGJUN KIM [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]