Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents awoke on Saturday to reports that headquarters had verbally instructed field offices to narrow enforcement to migrants with serious criminal records only. The rumor spread quickly in union chats and on social media, raising immediate alarm among agents who said the alleged directive would undermine ongoing workplace raids and interior checks that form the linchpin of President Trump’s immigration crackdown. By mid-morning September 27 the Department of Homeland Security moved to quash the speculation. A second nationwide message clarified that the earlier conversation was a ‘miscommunication’ and that officers remain free to detain any removable non-citizen they encounter. Senior officials told Fox News the enforcement focus is still “worst-first” but not “worst-only,” meaning collateral arrests and removal of non-criminal overstays will continue. The clarification matters for global mobility managers because executive guidance can shift arrest priorities overnight, altering risk calculations for foreign staff who are out of status. A narrower mandate would have reduced the likelihood of “collateral” detentions during targeted operations; its reversal keeps wide exposure in place, particularly in states that cooperate with ICE detainers. Employers should remind foreign national employees to carry proof of lawful status, update addresses on file with USCIS within ten days of moving, and keep copies of I-94 admission records. Companies running I-9 re-verification cycles this quarter may wish to accelerate audits so that any overstays can pursue counsel-guided options before ICE knocks. Longer-term, the episode demonstrates how informal guidance—sometimes relayed only by phone—can sow confusion on the ground. Mobility leaders should monitor CBP and ICE newsroom feeds as well as reputable media to verify policy changes before acting.
Source: Fox News
