Trump administration immigration deportations after midterm losses, Digi Mart USA News (Washington, DC): Despite significant electoral setbacks during the midterm elections, the Trump administration intends to maintain its aggressive enforcement posture on immigration, driven largely by the influence of White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, multiple U.S. officials told CBS News.
Republicans suffered major defeats nationwide on Election Day, including in historically Republican states such as Texas. Exit polling showed that immigration remained a central voter concern alongside economic issues, with Texas Latinos shifting substantially toward Democratic candidates.
National surveys indicated that 58 percent of voters believed the federal deportation crackdown had “gone too far.” Opposition lawmakers are scheduled to take control of both chambers of Congress in January, gaining broad investigatory authority over federal immigration policies, but enforcement operations continue unabated.
Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel have received no directives to curtail operations following the vote, sources speaking anonymously to CBS News confirmed. Internal ICE targets have recently risen from prior daily operational goals to approximately 2,700 arrests per day, aiming for roughly 19,000 weekly apprehensions, agency sources reported.
Officials noted that this benchmark was set before the congressional ballots.
The elevation of Stephen Miller to White House chief of staff signals that the administration will persist with both high-visibility deportation sweeps and broader efforts to restrict legal entry channels. When asked about a potential enforcement rollback, one official told CBS News, “I would count on the opposite” with Miller as chief of staff.
Administration leadership maintains that the electoral losses stemmed primarily from public anxieties about economic affordability and foreign policy friction rather than immigration policy. White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis defended the administration’s record, stating, “This administration will not slow down its efforts to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens who terrorize our communities.
There has never been a President stronger on immigration enforcement than President Trump.”
DHS echoed this position in a weekend release, affirming that ICE would not be “backing away or slowing down.” Throughout his tenure, Miller has driven hardline immigration measures, expanding his administrative authority to effectively suspend asylum systems, restrict refugee admissions and carry out sweeping domestic arrest operations.
External analysts anticipate rising political friction, including potential congressional subpoenas, oversight hearings and localized non-cooperation policies in jurisdictions such as Houston. The administration, however, retains substantial funding secured through long-term budget legislation, which analysts say will allow enforcement operations to continue.
