ICE Asserts Power to Enter Homes Without Judge's Warrant in Deportation Drive

Federal immigration officers in the United States are asserting expanded authority to enter private homes without a judicial warrant, according to an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) memo obtained by The Associated Press. The development marks a significant departure from long-standing guidance that emphasized constitutional limits on government searches and seizures.

The memo authorises ICE officers to use force to enter a residence based solely on an administrative warrant when seeking to arrest an individual with a final order of removal. Unlike judicial warrants, administrative warrants are issued internally by immigration officials rather than approved by a judge, a distinction that civil liberties advocates say raises serious constitutional concerns under the Fourth Amendment.

The policy shift comes as the Trump administration dramatically ramps up immigration enforcement nationwide. Thousands of additional deportation officers are being hired as part of a mass deportation campaign that is already reshaping enforcement tactics in several U.S. cities, including Minneapolis. Officials argue the expanded authority is necessary to carry out removal orders more efficiently.

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Immigrant rights groups and legal experts have strongly criticised the memo, warning that it conflicts with established legal interpretations that generally require a judge-signed warrant to enter a private home without consent. Advocates say the change undermines years of guidance provided to immigrant communities about their rights during encounters with immigration authorities.

ICE has not publicly detailed how the new guidance will be implemented in practice or how officers will be trained to apply it while avoiding constitutional violations. The memo’s disclosure has intensified debate over the balance between immigration enforcement and civil liberties, as scrutiny grows over the administration’s evolving approach to arrests and deportations across the country.

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