Is Trump Moderating His Immigration Policy Ahead of the November 3 Election? Mixed Signals from ICE

Less than a month before the November 3, 2026, legislative elections, a question is circulating in the press: is Trump’s immigration policy being moderated? The signals coming from ICE point in different directions.

• There are reports of instructions to limit certain detentions and new internal rules for vehicle arrests, although the DHS denies some of them.
• Other reports from CNN and the Washington Examiner mention higher arrest targets and a large-scale operation in California.
• Surveys show rejection of ICE tactics in Texas and an economic impact on Latino households.

Why it matters: immigration policy directly affects millions of Latino families in the U.S. and is one of the issues that weighs most in the campaign. Understanding what a confirmed order is, what an anonymous report is, and what the government denies helps to assess the situation without simplifying it.

Signs of Moderation

On September 26, the conservative outlet The Daily Wire reported that ICE agents had received verbal instructions to temporarily stop arresting immigrants without convictions or criminal charges and to suspend «collateral» detentions, i.e., those of people found while looking for someone else. A source told the outlet: «They’re trying to calm things down before the election.»

The DHS called the report «false» and stated that «no one is being ruled out.» Two days later, according to El Tiempo, The Daily Wire reported that, hours after that instruction, agents were authorized to continue detaining people without a record. A White House official confirmed to the outlet that some agents did receive the initial verbal orders, but attributed it to a confusion in transmitting the priority of pursuing those with a record first.

Meanwhile, CNN reported on October 1 about new internal guidelines: only ERO agents who have completed one of six training courses will be able to make vehicle arrests, and those vehicles must have lights and sirens. This comes after several shootings during this type of arrest.

Signs to the Contrary

In an exclusive report on October 7 based on two sources, CNN reported that ICE leadership ordered agents to increase detentions by 1,000 people per day, to return to the daily target of 3,000. According to CNN, the agency had been arresting around 2,000 people per day, and the weekly target is 19,000. Officials deny that there are quotas and describe it as a goal. CNN’s figures indicate that in August, ICE detained around 51,000 people, a monthly record for this administration, compared to over 46,000 in July.

On the same day, the Washington Examiner, citing sources, reported the launch of «Operation Safe California,» a 45-day operation that began in the San Diego area. According to the outlet, the order is to arrest all undocumented immigrants that agents encounter, regardless of whether they have a record or not. The operation was not publicly announced.

Tom Homan, border czar, told NewsNation that the priority is «the worst of the worst,» but that people without a record can also be arrested. Additionally, in July, after fatal shootings in Maine and Texas, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin paused non-urgent traffic stops, and Trump reversed that decision the next day.

Political Pressure and Voter Sentiment

According to El Tiempo, the decline in support among Latinos increases pressure on the White House. A Siena/ReconMR survey of likely voters in Texas, published on October 13, found that 54% oppose how ICE arrests people (42% in favor) and that 56% believe their tactics «have gone too far.»

Another survey, by UnidosUS and BSP Research, of 2,700 working-class Latinos between August 28 and September 17, indicated that 44% say that the enforcement of immigration laws has economically affected their household.

The DHS, in statements to AP, maintained that people who are legally in the country «have nothing to fear.»

What You Can Do

With this changing landscape, being informed is the best tool. This is general information, not individual legal advice:

• Know your rights: you have the right to remain silent and not to open the door without a judicial order signed by a judge.
• Have a family plan: define who would take care of your children and keep your important documents on hand.
• Find an accredited lawyer: the EOIR, of the Department of Justice, publishes a list of providers of free legal services.
• If you’re going to vote: check if ICE can be at voting centers and what federal law says.

Sources: El Tiempo; CNN en Español, October 8; CNN en Español, October 1; Washington Examiner; Siena Research Institute/ReconMR; UnidosUS; AP via ABC News; Department of Justice, providers of free legal services (EOIR). Data consulted on October 13, 2026.