Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem Push ICE To Drastically Expand Arrests To 3,000-a-Day Quota: Report

Top Trump adviser Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have reportedly directed immigration officials to target 3,000 arrests per day, Axios reported on Wednesday.

For context, this figure is triple the daily average from the early months of Trump's first term and signals a renewed push in immigration enforcement as the administration pursues what it calls the "largest deportation operation in American history."

The push reportedly took place during a tense meeting on May 21 at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters in Washington, D.C., where Miller told field office directors and agents to significantly raise arrest and deportation figures. According to multiple sources cited by the outlet, Miller's tone left some attendees fearing their jobs could be at risk if they failed to meet the target.

Noem, while less confrontational, echoed support for expanding enforcement and sought feedback from ICE leadership.

The push for more arrests within the country follows a sharp decline in border crossings—down to 7,181 in March 2025, compared to over 137,000 a year earlier—and is part of a broader strategy to shift enforcement to the interior. According to government data, ICE currently detains nearly 49,000 individuals, a number that exceeds congressional funding limits and is expected to grow as enforcement intensifies.

In the first 100 days of Trump's new term, more than 139,000 people have been deported, with ICE also reporting 66,000 arrests. Of these, about 75% had criminal records, the agency said, including 1,300 convicted of sex crimes and nearly 500 charged with or convicted of homicide.

The administration's deportation efforts have been met with legal challenges and controversy. In one instance, the Supreme Court ordered the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongly deported to El Salvador despite a court ruling barring his removal. The government has not complied.

In a recent Newsmax interview, Miller himself dismissed concerns over the Abrego case and claimed that U.S. citizens deserve reparations for "damages inflicted by mass migration." He cited crime, declining school performance, and drug overdoses as consequences of what he described as decades of uncontrolled immigration. "We all deserve reparations for what has been stolen from us," he said.