Federal immigration officers have been granted broad authority to enter people’s homes forcibly without a judge’s warrant, as per an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) memo obtained by The Associated Press. This directive comes as the Trump administration gears up for increased immigration enforcement in Maine, part of a broader expansion of immigration arrests nationwide. Thousands of officers have been mobilized under a mass deportation initiative that is already reshaping enforcement strategies in various cities, including Minneapolis.
Over the years, immigrant advocates, legal aid groups, and local governments have advised individuals not to allow entry to immigration agents unless presented with a warrant signed by a judge. This advice is based on Supreme Court rulings that generally bar law enforcement from entering a residence without judicial authorization. However, the ICE memo directly challenges this guidance at a time when arrests are on the rise under the administration’s immigration crackdown.
The memo and a whistleblower complaint were obtained by The Associated Press from a congressional official who disclosed the information anonymously to discuss sensitive documents. The authenticity of the accounts in the complaint was verified by AP.
According to the whistleblower complaint, the memo has not been widely circulated within the agency, but its contents are being used to train new ICE officers being deployed across cities and towns to enforce President Trump’s immigration policies. Recent ICE recruits and trainees are instructed to adhere to the memo’s directives, which contradict existing training materials, as revealed in the whistleblower disclosure.
It remains unclear how extensively the directive has been implemented in immigration enforcement operations. The memo, signed by ICE’s acting director Todd Lyons and dated May 12, 2025, states that administrative warrants can now be relied upon to arrest individuals subject to final removal orders in their residences. This shift in policy is based on a recent determination by the DHS Office of the General Counsel that administrative warrants are permissible under the U.S. Constitution, the Immigration and Nationality Act, and immigration regulations.
When questioned about the memo, Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin emphasized that individuals targeted with administrative warrants have undergone due process and received final removal orders. She noted that officers issuing these warrants have established probable cause for the arrests, citing recognition of administrative warrants in immigration enforcement by the Supreme Court and Congress.
In Maine, the Trump administration is concentrating its mass deportation efforts on the state, which has a relatively low population of undocumented residents but a significant presence of African refugees in major cities. The operation, dubbed “Catch of the Day” by the Department of Homeland Security, focuses on enforcing immigration laws in Maine.
Recent reports of heightened immigration arrests have instilled fear in immigrant communities in Portland and Lewiston, prompting opposition from Governor Janet Mills and other Democrats. They have refused to aid immigration agents by providing undercover license plates for their vehicles, expressing concerns over the tactics employed by immigration officers.
Residents have mobilized to alert neighborhoods about the presence of ICE agents and provide support to immigrants. Local businesses have displayed signs indicating their reluctance to welcome ICE agents. Portland Mayor Mark Dion has criticized the paramilitary approach of immigration officers, standing in solidarity with immigrant communities.
The ICE agency did not respond to inquiries regarding its plans for Maine, where increased enforcement operations commenced on Tuesday, according to Homeland Security. The agency indicated that Operation Catch of the Day targets criminal illegal aliens, with initial arrests involving individuals convicted of serious offenses.
In a separate development, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily suspended a ruling that limits immigration officers’ tactics in Minnesota. The court halted a decision that prohibits officers from using tear gas and other aggressive measures against peaceful protesters as the government pursues an appeal. Operation Metro Surge, an immigration enforcement initiative in Minnesota’s Twin Cities, began in early December.
Minnesota remains a focal point for immigration sweeps led by Homeland Security agencies. State and local officials opposing these efforts were served with federal grand jury subpoenas for records suggesting attempts to impede enforcement. The state witnessed a tragic incident where Renee Good, a mother of three, was fatally shot by an immigration officer in Minneapolis on January 7.