DHS says ‘no one is off the table’ amid report ICE strategy for immigrant arrests has changed: ‘We will continue to arrest any and all illegal aliens’
The Department of Homeland Security has denied a report that ICE agents were instructed to stop arresting undocumented migrants without criminal convictions or charges, insisting that “no one is off the table.” The denial came after a report by The Daily Wire, citing agency sources, said that ICE officers had been told to prioritize immigrants with criminal records and end so-called “collateral arrests.”
DHS rejects reported change in ICE policy: ‘No one is off the table’
The Daily Wire, citing agency sources, initially reported that ICE officers across the country had been told to arrest only illegal migrants with criminal convictions or charges. The reported change would have ended so-called “collateral arrests,” in which officers pursuing a suspected criminal target could also detain other illegal migrants they encountered. The Daily Wire also quoted one ICE officer as saying, “They’re trying to calm things down before the [midterm] elections,” while another said, “I hope Trump finds out about this s*** and puts an end to it.”
On Saturday, September 26, DHS shared the report on X and wrote, “This is false. No one is off the table. We will continue to arrest any and all illegal aliens that come into our path. Anyone in our country illegally will be arrested and deported.”
“In an effort to protect American citizens, ICE has initiated a nationwide public safety surge in sanctuary cities where our brave officers will be targeting criminal illegal aliens — many released from jails by sanctuary politicians — including murderers, rapists, child predators and gang members,” DHS added.
Reports cite conflicting guidance
Fox News congressional correspondent Bill Melugin said he spoke with nine ICE and DHS insiders who described “verbal guidance” telling offices to avoid non-criminal migrants. Melugin characterized that as “erroneous,” saying it resulted from a “miscommunication” about going after the “worst first.” Melugin said there had been “no change in immigration enforcement policy” and that guidance was sent to ICE field offices “to reaffirm this.” He also said Trump told him that anyone in the U.S. illegally remains “on the table” for ICE agents.
DHS links mass deportations to decreased rent
DHS separately claimed that ICE deportations have contributed to falling rents in areas with heightened enforcement. The department said it was “reducing your rent, especially in states that cooperate withmICE.” It cited rent declines including 4.8% in San Antonio, 4.3% in Austin, about 3% in Dallas and Houston, 2.6% in Miami, 4.2% in Phoenix, 3.2% in Atlanta, 5.3% in Nashville and 8% in New Orleans.
Notably, the agency did not identify the source or methodology behind the figures. The post only referred to unspecified “research” showing that “illegal-worker inflows push rents and home prices up,” adding that the “inflow has been reversed in the states running the hardest interior enforcement.”
Immigration approval falls
The dispute comes as public approval of Trump’s handling of immigration has plummeted. A The Economist/YouGov poll found that in August, 40% of American adults approved of Trump’s handling of immigration while 53% disapproved, producing a net approval of minus 13, down from plus 11 in February 2025.