Border Patrol officers will continue to go anywhere in the U.S. to apprehend illegal migrants, the agency's chief told the Washington Examiner.
Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks said Americans should expect an unprecedented level of coordination between his agency and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as President Donald Trump's second-term immigration crackdown expands beyond the border and deeper into the interior.
"We are the United States Border Patrol, who will go anywhere in the United States of America, apprehend illegal aliens, prosecute them, and return them to their country or to a country that are amenable to be returned to," Banks told the Examiner.
He added that the era of "get past the Border Patrol and you're home free" is over.
"Gone are the days where, if you got past the U.S. Border Patrol, you were free to go, you were free to live out your life, and not have to worry about deportation," Banks said.
The Examiner reported Border Patrol agents have been deployed over the past six months to major cities including Los Angeles, Portland, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Memphis, Charlotte, and New Orleans — operations that have at times sparked protests and unrest from left-wing activists opposing federal law enforcement.
Traditionally, Border Patrol agents are stationed along the border to stop unlawful crossings between ports of entry.
But Banks emphasized the agency has legal authority to enforce federal immigration law nationwide and has been called upon by the Department of Homeland Security to assist ICE.
While critics portray the deployments as federal "raids," Banks said the reality is that Border Patrol is supporting ICE and responding to operational needs.
"I will continue to provide the manpower and resources to support ICE anywhere they need it in the United States of America to eradicate illegal immigration in this country," he said.
Banks argued the interior operations are producing measurable results, including encouraging illegal immigrants to leave voluntarily.
Each time a new city operation begins, he said, "self-deports" through the CBP Home phone app rise, while illegal border-entry attempts drop — a sign, he argued, that enforcement is restoring deterrence.
DHS touted earlier this month that 1.9 million illegal aliens have voluntarily departed since Trump took office, according to the Examiner report.
The aggressive posture reflects a broader administration strategy: combine tougher interior enforcement with expanded border deterrents.
The Examiner previously reported that Banks said the administration plans to install roughly 900 miles of floating buoy barriers in the Rio Grande beginning in early 2026 — a major expansion of a controversial tool meant to stop crossings and improve detection response.
"I have never seen this much support from a president and a secretary," Banks said, praising the administration's approach.
The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the Trump administration is seeking contractors to convert massive industrial warehouses into large-scale staging centers designed to speed deportations and reduce the chaos of today's ad hoc detention network, according to a report.
Taken together, the policies reflect a core Trump priority: ending catch-and-release, reestablishing consequences, and sending a clear message that illegal entry and illegal residence will no longer be ignored, no matter how far from the border.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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