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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Issues: Department of Homeland Security

The Disagreement over Judicial and Administrative Warrants for ICE

The Disagreement over Judicial and Administrative Warrants for ICE
February 17, 2026

One of the sticking points in the standoff between Democrats and Republicans over funding for the Department of Homeland Security has been the Trump administration’s expanded use of administrative warrants to forcibly enter people’s homes to make immigration arrests. Democrats argue the new DHS policy runs afoul of the Constitution and have demanded immigration officers obtain judicial warrants — a higher legal bar that requires a judge’s approval — to forcibly enter a home.

ICE Officers and Bonuses

ICE Officers and Bonuses
February 5, 2026

Q: Is it true that ICE agents are financially rewarded for the number of people taken into custody?

A: The Department of Homeland Security has said there is no such policy, and an immigration think tank told us it is unaware of any payments per arrest. The Wall Street Journal reported that agents “are rewarded for making arrests” but didn’t say how they are rewarded. Immigration and Customs Enforcement quickly scrapped a proposed program to pay bonuses to speed up deportations.

As ICE Arrests Increased, a Higher Portion Had No U.S. Criminal Record

As ICE Arrests Increased, a Higher Portion Had No U.S. Criminal Record
January 28, 2026

While the Trump administration insists that it is targeting the “worst of the worst” in its immigration enforcement, it has not provided information to substantiate that, and the data that is available suggests the claim has become less accurate over time.