Undocumented Immigrants

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says the Trump administration will soon expand immigration operations in Chicago. Noem confirmed plans for the stepped up presence of federal agents in the nation's third-largest city in a CBS News' "Face the Nation" interview on Sunday. DHS last week requested the Naval Station Great Lakes, about 35 miles north of Chicago, provide DHS limited support in the form of facilities, infrastructure, and other logistical needs for the agency's operations. Pritzker says that the plan to mobilize federal forces in the city may be part of an effort by President Donald Trump to "stop the elections in 2026 or, frankly, take control of those elections."

Federal officials are complying with a judge’s order and have stopped sending immigrants to a detention center in the Everglades, less than two months after Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration launched the facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” in support of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts.

A line of merchandise sold by the Florida Republican Party with branding for the state's newest immigration deportation facility — Deportation Depot — has been removed from the party's website.Shortly after the new facility was announced, the merchandise was listed for sale at the state GOP's website.

A federal judge has denied the Trump administration's request to end a policy protecting immigrant children in federal custody. The Flores agreement limits how long children can be held and requires safe conditions. U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee in California says it was a repetitive attempt and she saw no reason to terminate it. President Donald Trump's administration says the Flores Settlement Agreement hinders its immigration crackdown. In a hearing held last week, Gee questioned why a number of children are held longer than the 72-hour limit when border arrests are low. A government attorney cited logistical challenges and policy changes.

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration is preparing to open a second immigration detention facility at a state prison in north Florida, as a federal judge decides the fate of the state's holding center for immigrants at an isolated airstrip in the Florida Everglades dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz." DeSantis announced Thursday that the new facility is to be built at the Baker Correctional Institution, a state prison about 43 miles west of Jacksonville, and is expected to house 1,300 immigration detention beds, though that capacity could be expanded to 2,000, state officials said.

A federal judge is hearing closing arguments over whether to stop construction indefinitely at an immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.” The judge is considering Tuesday whether the facility violates environmental laws. Last week she ordered a two-week halt on new construction, but that doesn’t restrict law enforcement or immigration enforcement activity there. The center has hundreds of detainees in temporary tent structures and can hold up to 3,000 people. It was quickly built two months ago at a training airport. Detainees say there are worms in the food and overflowing toilets, while mosquitoes and other insects are everywhere.

A federal judge has ordered a temporary halt to construction of an immigration detention center — built in the middle of the Florida Everglades and dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" — as attorneys argue whether it violates environmental laws. Under Thursday's order, the facility can continue to operate and hold detainees for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe have asked U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams to issue a preliminary injunction to halt operations and further construction.

A July 2025 CBS/YouGov poll asked Americans, "Do you approve or disapprove of the Trump administration's program to find and deport immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally?"The respondents were divided, with 49% of Americans approving and 51% disapproving.

Top Trump administration officials boast that a new partnership to expand immigrant detention in Indiana will be the next so-called "Alligator Alcatraz." The plan will add 1,000 beds for immigrant detainees at a prison outside of Indianapolis. The agreement is already prompting backlash in the Midwest state, starting with its splashy "Speedway Slammer" moniker. Leaders of the Indianapolis community of Speedway, which is home to the iconic racetrack, say they weren't consulted. The plan comes as federal officials also consider adding temporary detention space at a central Indiana military base.