Part 9/12:
The recent surge in ICE activity is linked to a substantial budget increase, aiming for up to 3,000 deportations daily. This heightened enforcement stands in contrast to the Obama-era deportations, which totaled over 3 million from 2009 to 2016, compared to about 1.5 million under Trump’s first term. The current administration, therefore, aims to accelerate deportations as part of its broader crackdown, driven by political goals and economic incentives like the ICE bed quota—a mandate requiring private detention facilities to maintain a specific level of occupancy.