Court Testimony Sheds Light on ICE Operations
New courtroom testimony has revealed that agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Oregon used a specialized mobile app to identify neighborhoods for immigration enforcement and were given daily arrest targets during operations.
The details surfaced in a federal class-action lawsuit filed by the nonprofit Innovation Law Lab, which challenged ICE practices of detaining people without warrants or probable cause. A federal judge ultimately ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, broadly halting warrantless immigration arrests across Oregon.
Daily Arrest Goals Disclosed
During a December hearing, an ICE agent identified as “JB” testified that his team was verbally instructed to make eight arrests per day. The unit—made up of nine to twelve officers—was part of a broader enforcement effort known as Operation Black Rose, which authorities say resulted in more than 1,200 arrests in the Portland area by mid-December 2025.
Although officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have denied the existence of arrest quotas, the testimony appeared to contradict those claims. Public statements from Trump adviser Stephen Miller previously cited a national goal of 3,000 immigration arrests per day.
App Used to Identify “Target-Rich” Areas
Agents also described using a tool called Elite, a mapping-style application that displays areas where people with an “immigration nexus” may live. The app reportedly compiles data from multiple sources to estimate where enforcement efforts might lead to arrests.
According to testimony, officers used the tool to surveil an apartment complex in Woodburn, Oregon—an agricultural community with many farmworkers. After running license plates in the area, agents stopped a van carrying farmworkers and detained seven people.
However, the officer acknowledged the app’s information could be inaccurate and that it only provided probabilities rather than confirmed identities.
Judge Criticizes Enforcement Tactics
The case’s presiding judge, Mustafa Kasubhai, criticized the Woodburn operation, saying the intelligence tools and arrest strategy risked targeting people who were lawfully in the United States.
The lawsuit also raised concerns about racial profiling and mass surveillance. Advocates argue the technology created what they called an “electronic dragnet” that could bypass constitutional protections against unreasonable searches.
Legal advocates say the testimony provides a rare look into internal immigration enforcement strategies that are usually kept confidential.
For more on this story, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine.
