Immigration has always been the lifeblood of America, helping to create a unique melting pot of culture and history. However, the fight over who belongs, and who does not, is as old as the country itself.
Since his inauguration last month, President Donald Trump has been testing the limits of his power through a flurry of executive orders. He’s working to deliver on his campaign promise to crack down on immigration by targeting areas like birthright citizenship and refugee status.
Deportations are ramping up, even as border crossings are down. The administration is going so far as to use Guantanamo Bay — the military base in Cuba — to house the influx of arrested migrants.
ABC News is on the ground, across the country — reporting on sweeping immigration changes. Watch “Immigration Crackdown” tonight on a special edition of “Nightline.”
Correspondents from ABC News deployed across the nation to see what impact the Trump administration’s crackdown is having across America.
Denver, Colorado
Last Wednesday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids began in an apartment building in the early morning hours. Working with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and FBI agents, they knocked on doors, stopped cars and took multiple people into custody.
It was just one of multiple immigration enforcement operations happening throughout the Denver area that day.
A member of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement stands ready of action in full tactical gear on Feb. 5, 2025, in Denver, Colorado.
RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post via MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Law enforcement said publicly that they were targeting the most dangerous undocumented individuals. However, people ABC News spoke with said agents went door to door, questioning residents at every unit — more than a hundred in total — demanding identification and asking if drugs were inside.
While large-scale operations like this can net arrests, residents said going door to door created unreasonable panic and fear for everyone involved.
Two federal law enforcement sources told ABC News that the operation yielded the arrest of just one alleged gang member. The sources said 29 people were also detained.
The southern border in Texas
The enforcement actions have also created tension in the communities surrounding U.S. ports of entry along the southern border, especially in Texas. These ports are the economic lifeblood of their regions, both by water and by land, but they are also where Border Patrol is focused on stopping the flow of both migrants and illegal drugs.
A drone photo taken on Feb. 3, 2025, in Mexico’s Ciudad Juarez shows a part of the U.S.-Mexico border wall.
Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
At the port of entry in McAllen, more than 700,000 trucks of cargo — worth more than $50 billion — are scanned every year. Border Patrol took ABC News inside its warehouse, where they inspect all that cargo — stacks of vacuums, car parts and produce, looking for illegal shipments or drugs.
Director Carlos Rodriguez highlighted the need for additional funding to pay for more manpower and improved technology.
“Just last night we had a shipment of jalapenos and cucumbers at the port of entry — it’s over 2,000 pounds of methamphetamine and heroin,” he told ABC News.
Central Valley, California
The idea of cutting off all illegal crossings is popular with some Americans, but other groups urge a cautious approach on enforcing the law against groups of undocumented workers who are already here. In California, roughly half of all farm workers are undocumented immigrants.
Roughly half of California’s farm workers are undocumented immigrants.
ABC News
At a dairy farm in Tulare County, farmer Peter de Jong told ABC News he supports Trump’s immigration crackdown. He said he’s hopeful for systemic reforms because his farm relies heavily on migrant labor and he would like to see a pathway to keep them here in this country legally.
“We have encouraged them to apply for green cards and go through the process, but it’s a very slow process,” de Jong said. “It’s expensive, too.”
Chicago, Illinois
The battle over immigration has also spilled into federal and state courtrooms, with the Trump administration filing suit against the city of Chicago and state of Illinois, accusing them of obstructing federal immigration policy. Illinois denies this accusation.
Chicago is a sanctuary city, which means that it largely does not disclose immigration status to authorities or deny services if a resident is undocumented.
Some residents told ABC News they’re feeling the impact of the Trump administration’s crackdown. On the city’s north side, many migrants gather near a busy shopping area to look for work each day.
Hundreds gather in La Villita Park to stage a pro-immigrant protest against deportations and Trump administration’s immigration policies in Chicago, on Feb. 8, 2025.
Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images
One man from Colombia said he has been in the U.S. for a year and a half, and looks for whatever work is available so he can support his family.
“A lot of people drive by and look at me like I’m a dog, like I’m a derelict of society,” he told ABC News.
Passaic, New Jersey
Over the weekend, hundreds took to the streets of this immigrant-rich community to protest recent ICE raids and arrests, while also demanding statewide protections for immigrants. Organizers also handed out pamphlets so they know their rights if they’re approached by ICE.
“I think there’s politicians who want to feed people’s anger about their individual situations — and so they want to raise up some kind of opponent — someone for everyone to hate,” protester and journalist Charlie Bagli told ABC News.
“And so they put a lot of hate into immigrants. Most of them are working their asses off and sending half their paycheck back home.”