The strict immigration policies implemented by Donald Trump have caused confusion in the nation. Fraudsters posing as ICE officers have been found orchestrating counterfeit raids, while unauthorized immigrants are being allowed to return to the United States.
The escalation of deportations by Trump has fueled unrest, with fake raids being conducted by unauthorized individuals as a result of recent operations.
One distressing incident involved a student at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who was apprehended for impersonating an officer from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Aidan Steigelmann, 22, is charged with impersonating a public servant on Saturday night.
He and another suspect allegedly entered a dorm and an on-campus business wearing shirts that said “police” and “ICE” while another suspect recorded them.
Steigelmann has been temporarily suspended from the university while cops investigate.
“It is deeply troubling and disappointing to know behavior like this reportedly occurred on our campus,” Temple police said, according to Fox affiliate WTXF.
It’s unclear why the three suspects were allegedly staging fake raids.
Temple and Philadelphia police haven’t responded to The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.
The fake ICE raid comes as real ones are taking over cities like Chicago and New York City after Trump immediately pushed immigration operations when he took office on January 20.
As of February 1, ICE arrested or detained 8,276 people who they say are in the country illegally, according to daily public data published by the federal agency.
However, some of the migrants arrested in the crackdown have already been released back into the US, according to NBC News.
ICE has been forced to let go of some of the migrants arrested in the roundups due to limited space in detention facilities.
Plus, indefinite detention is against federal law – meaning some of the undocumented people can’t legally stay in custody.
Officials keep track of the released migrants through a monitoring program known as Alternatives to Detention, NBC reported.
ICE keeps tabs on the released migrants by using ankle monitors, wrist bracelets, and regular phone calls to check in on them.
The catching and releasing comes after Trump vowed during his Inauguration Day speech to end former President Joe Biden’s controversial catch-and-release policies.
Under catch-and-release policies, migrants who were apprehended at the southern border were allowed to go back to their homes in the US while awaiting their pending immigration cases.
“All illegal entry will immediately be halted and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places they came,” Trump said during his inaugural address.
“I will end the practice of catch and release and I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country.”
ICE policy prioritizes detaining immigrants considered threats to public safety.
Officers are allowed to use discretion in releasing migrants who don’t have serious criminal convictions.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a briefing last week that non-violent immigrants and violent immigrants are being targeted equally for arrests by ICE agents.
Leavitt said Trump “is focused on launching the largest mass deportation operation in American history of illegal criminals.
“If you are an individual, a foreign national who illegally enters the United States of America, you are, by definition, a criminal,” she added.
However, being in the US without proper documentation is a civil violation, not a criminal offense.
AT THE BORDER
In one of his first moves as president, Trump sent troops to the southern border and ordered them to take “full operational control” as he declared illegal immigration a national emergency.
On Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth went to the US border with Mexico for his first trip as the Pentagon chief, along with border czar Tom Homan.
Hegseth posted a video of himself shaking hands with the troops to X, saying, “It was an honor to meet the troops engaged in securing our southern border.
“They are the backbone of our nation’s security,” he said.
“Their dedication to service and unequaled courage safeguard the freedoms we hold dear. We are grateful for all you and your families sacrifice.”
Mexico agreed to send 10,000 troops to the US border on Monday in exchange for Trump pausing tariffs targeting imports from Mexico for a month.
