Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a father outside his child’s school in Trenton, Michigan, on Wednesday, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Why It Matters
Illegal immigration and border security are key components of President Donald Trump’s agenda. He has promised to carry out the largest mass deportation campaign in US history, impose tariffs, and strengthen border security to limit crossings.
He campaigned on proposals with widespread Republican support, as well as many voters who support his immigration reform plans. Most Democrats oppose his approach but recognise the need for reform.
Trump claimed last week that arrests along the United States’ southern border with Mexico reached a new low of just over 8,300 in February, but official figures have yet to be released.
What To Know
The Detroit Free Press reported on Friday that ICE agents arrested Jose Guadalupe Jaimes, a 55-year-old immigrant father, outside Arthur Middle School in Trenton on Wednesday morning.
Jaimes had just dropped off his eighth-grade son, who has Asperger’s syndrome, when three vehicles with flashing lights approached his work van, according to the newspaper. Jaimes was detained by ICE agents, some of whom had guns drawn. He is now being held in the St. Clair County Jail.
Jaimes, who has lived in the United States for 30 years and owns a painting company, has no criminal record or cases pending in Wayne County courts, according to public records.
An ICE spokesperson told the Free Press that Jaimes had been “ordered removed by an immigration judge in 2014” and was a “illegal alien from Mexico.”
Meanwhile, his family claims that Jaimes had a work permit and proper documentation to stay in the country.
Jaimes, the owner of Lupes Pro Painting, started his business after years of working for others. His family described him as a hard-working, cheerful man who was committed to providing for his loved ones.
“We just want him back home,” his son, Hector Jaimes, a junior at Tennessee’s Tusculum University, told the Free Press. Hector drove eight hours back to Michigan after learning about his father’s arrest from a Facebook post. “He is constantly smiling. He is a family-oriented person. He is constantly trying to give us everything…that he never had when he was younger.”
The arrest has since sparked criticism from community members and local officials, including Democratic state Senator Darrin Camilleri, who was “appalled” by the situation.
The arrest outside a school has reignited a national debate about ICE’s enforcement in sensitive areas, which was previously restricted under previous administrations but expanded under Trump. In January, the president authorised ICE to detain migrants suspected of being in the country illegally in or near sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals, and churches.
The rollback has alarmed immigrant advocates, who fear it will deter undocumented migrants from seeking essential services such as medical care and education for their children. Schools and churches across the country have pledged to protect immigrant communities, as churches have traditionally served as safe havens for migrants fleeing ICE arrests.
Meanwhile, multiple reports indicate that ICE agents are preparing a new operation to detain migrant families with children.
According to NBC News, the raids will target adults and minor children who arrived in the United States together and have deportation orders.
Another operation is underway to find children who entered the country unaccompanied and were released without a court date, according to NBC.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump and border czar Tom Homan stated that initial plans for mass deportations would target migrants with serious criminal records.
It follows White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s confirmation in January that the Trump administration considers all undocumented migrants “criminals.”
What People Are Saying
Democratic Michigan state Senator Darrin Camilleri told the Detroit Free Press, “I just spoke with his family, and they are devastated.” To make matters worse, his family claims he has a work permit and ID to be here.
It is a moral failure that our schools, places of worship, and other community spaces are being used to break up families and spread fear and chaos across our country.”
Jose Guadalupe Jaimes’ daughter, Anna Jaimes, told WXYZ-TV that her father is simply a hard worker. He does not deserve any of it. I believe he is constantly striving to do good, work hard, and provide for his family.
In response to a recent rally in southwest Detroit in support of immigrants, which asked ICE not to target them, an ICE spokesman stated: “While U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement respects the rights and civil liberties of all individuals, ICE, through its congressionally assigned criminal and civil immigration enforcement authorities, arrests aliens who commit crimes and violate our nation’s immigration laws.”
All aliens who violate U.S. immigration law may be arrested, detained, and, if found removable by final order, removed from the United States, regardless of nationality.”
What Happens Next?
Jaimes remains in ICE custody pending the outcome of his immigration proceedings, which will now be heard by federal immigration courts.
As the Trump administration broadens the scope of ICE, migrant raids are expected to become more frequent and widespread in the coming months.
