On Thursday, U.S. border czar Tom Homan confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to increase immigration raids in Los Angeles and other sanctuary cities such as New York, Portland, and Seattle. This announcement marks a significant escalation in federal enforcement actions amid ongoing legal restrictions limiting how and where ICE can operate.

The timing and nature of this plan raise serious questions, as a federal judge’s temporary restraining order (TRO) against ICE’s so-called “roving” raids in Los Angeles remains in effect. The TRO, upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on August 1, prohibits ICE from basing arrests solely on race, ethnicity, language, location, or type of work. It was enacted after numerous concerns surfaced that prior raids involved unconstitutional racial profiling and sweeping tactics that violated civil rights.

“The planning is still being discussed,” Homan said, but his comments signal that ICE is ready to intensify the very practices courts have restricted. Legal experts and civil rights advocates warn that this ramp-up could mean ICE intends to violate the TRO or push the boundaries of what is legally permissible under the current injunction.

Since the raids began in June, more than 2,700 undocumented immigrants have been arrested in the Los Angeles area. However, once the TRO was issued, arrests temporarily declined amid increased scrutiny of ICE’s tactics. The renewed surge of operations effectively challenges the judicial limits on federal enforcement.

Civil rights groups like the ACLU have expressed deep concern about possible ongoing violations and are monitoring federal actions closely. “If ICE proceeds without respect for the court’s order, they risk deepening harm to immigrant communities and triggering severe legal consequences,” a spokesperson said.

The Trump administration has criticized the restraining order as a “straitjacket” on law enforcement and has sought to have it lifted by higher courts. So far, the Supreme Court has denied emergency appeals to block the TRO, leaving the order in place during the administration’s appeals process.

Community leaders and activists are bracing for intensified raids and potential clashes between enforcement agents and residents. Many fear that this continued federal aggression will deepen fear, disrupt families, and inflame tensions in already vulnerable immigrant communities across sanctuary cities.