Federal immigration officers are now claiming extensive authority to forcibly enter private residences without a judge’s warrant, according to an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) memo obtained by The Associated Press. This marks a significant departure from long-established guidance designed to uphold constitutional limits on government searches.
The directive permits ICE agents to use force to gain entry to a home based solely on a more limited administrative warrant, specifically to arrest individuals with a final order of removal. This move, say advocates, directly conflicts with Fourth Amendment protections and overturns years of advice given to immigrant communities regarding their rights.
