Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
In early 2025, the U.S. federal government significantly expanded immigration enforcement operations, leading to a wave of arrests at public locations, including multiple Home Depot stores nationwide. These actions are part of a larger initiative launched under President Donald Trump’s second administration known as Operation Safeguard, which began around January 23, 2025.
The effort, according to multiple reports, involves ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) working in coordination with other federal agencies, such as Border Patrol, the DEA, and the U.S. Marshals. The Washington Post reported on July 22, 2025, that “Border Patrol agents have been deployed far from the U.S.-Mexico border, including in cities like Los Angeles,” under new executive directives allowing for expanded immigration-related authority across agencies (Washington Post, 2025).
One focal point for these enforcement activities has been Home Depot parking lots, which have long served as informal hiring hubs for day laborers, many of whom are undocumented immigrants. The Guardian reported in June 2025 that federal agents conducted multiple arrests in and around these sites in Los Angeles, targeting workers gathered for employment opportunities (The Guardian, June 2025).
A particularly high-profile incident occurred in a Hollywood Home Depot parking lot, where Border Patrol agents reportedly detained more than 30 individuals in a single operation. According to The Los Angeles Times, agents were heard boasting, “Today we grabbed 31 bodies. That was a good day.” The article also detailed the case of Job Garcia, a U.S. citizen and photographer who was tackled and detained while filming the arrests. He has since filed a lawsuit against the federal government (LA Times, June 20, 2025).
Critics argue that the strategy is not only aggressive but also indiscriminate. A report by Axios Dallas highlighted that many of those arrested had no prior criminal records and were detained simply for lacking legal status. “They’re not going after criminals anymore. They’re going after whoever they can find,” said one anonymous ICE official (Axios, July 23, 2025).
Axios also reported, the other side: “The media continues to peddle this FALSE narrative that ICE is not targeting criminal illegal aliens,” Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to Axios. McLaughlin added that 70% of ICE arrests were for immigrants with criminal convictions or pending charges, but did not elaborate on that figure. (Axios, July 23, 2025).
One of the most controversial aspects of the enforcement strategy is the daily arrest quota reportedly imposed by the Trump administration. The New York Post cited internal sources who described a daily goal of 3,000 arrests, suggesting that this pressure was shifting focus away from individuals with criminal records and toward anyone deemed an easy target. “Morale is at an all-time low,” one ICE officer told the outlet. “We didn’t sign up for this kind of indiscriminate round-up” (NY Post, June 17, 2025).
Home Depot, for its part, has not released a detailed public statement regarding the raids, but has stated in previous incidents that it does not control public activity in its parking lots, which are generally open to the public and local law enforcement.
As protests grow in response to these actions, the future of Operation Safeguard remains controversial. Lawsuits, legislative challenges, and grassroots pushback are likely to define the debate over immigration enforcement in the months ahead. The Forbes editorial board noted, “The political and humanitarian implications of this operation may rival those seen during the family separation crisis of 2018” (Forbes, June 2025).
As of January 20, 2025, these actions represent a significant shift in U.S. immigration policy, one in which public spaces, large-scale quotas, and expansive arrest authority are central features of federal enforcement. The impact of these strategies on individuals, communities, and the legal system continues to unfold.
