Immigration News Today: Police Experts Question ICE Agent Vetting Amid Hiring Push

Julia Malleck

Jul 24, 2026

Protesters march at an anti-ICE rally in Foley Square on January 7th, 2026, in New York, New York. Photo: Jonathan Fernandes for Documented.

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Just have a minute? Here are the top stories you need to know about immigration. This summary was featured in Documented’s Early Arrival newsletter. You can subscribe to receive it in your inbox three times per week here.

Washington, D.C.

Police experts question ICE agent vetting amid hiring push:

Law enforcement experts, citing historical examples, warn that rapid hiring can often lead to cut corners and an uptick in criminal behavior within police forces. —NPR   

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New DHS strategy reflected in acceleration of daily ICE arrests:

Federal records show that 16,213 people were arrested in the first 11 days of July, marking an average of about 1,400 arrests per day. That’s up from an average of about 1,300 daily arrests in June. —Bloomberg [Paywall]

ICE mostly failing to prove immigrants are “weaponizing” vehicles, analysis finds: 

Of the 26 people the agency has accused of vehicle attacks, only 15 have faced charges, and eight among them have had the charges dismissed. —The Guardian

New York

Veteran charged with arson after fire set outside 26 Federal Plaza:

Prosecutors say Andrew Arrabaca, 43, set the blaze outside the immigration court and ICE field office. The FBI also says he was in possession of “anti-ICE literature.” —Courthouse News 

New York Immigration Coalition management seeks to shrink new union, employees allege:

The union has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board after management allegedly tried to carve out 12 members from the bargaining unit. —The Chief 

ICE agents surveil mall parking lots to arrest immigrants on Long Island, analysis finds:

Agents are reportedly running license plates on local shoppers in order to track down individuals and drive up arrests. —Newsday [Paywall]

Around the U.S.

DHS drops plans to convert two Pennsylvania warehouses into detention centers, while purchase of California facilities points to new strategy:

Pennsylvania had refused to grant drinking water and wastewater permits for the sites. Meanwhile, experts say that the Trump administration’s move to directly buying sites may indicate its original detention expansion plans are failing. —WHYY, CalMatters 

More than 24 states sue Trump admin. over tying FEMA funding to immigration, election policies:

The lawsuit argues, in part, that the federal government is threatening to withhold billions of dollars in critical disaster funding should states not comply with DHS enforcement. —AP

Surveiling the surveillance state, activists map and expose ICE tech network:

Mijente is one of several grassroots organizations across the country engaging in “sousveillance,” or the act of regular people watching systems of power from below. —The Conversation 

[Long read] Despite warnings of overcrowding, ICE packs people into holding cells nationwide, analysis shows:

ICE holding rooms nationwide have regularly been overcrowded since Trump reentered office, despite health and safety warnings, and in the case of 26 Federal Plaza, court-mandated limits on occupancy. —The Washington Post

Julia Malleck

Julia Malleck is a journalist based in NYC. She writes Documented's flagship newsletter, Early Arrival, which tracks national and local developments in immigration policy. (And my handle on X/Twitter is @txt_julia)

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