ICE Memo Signals Expansion of Warrantless Home Entry Powers

U.S. federal immigration officers are asserting broader authority to forcibly enter private homes without a judge’s warrant, according to reports citing an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) memo revealed on Wednesday.

The memo authorizes ICE officers to use force to enter a residence based solely on an administrative warrant to arrest someone with a final order of removal. This marks a significant reversal of long-standing guidance designed to respect constitutional limits on government searches, and has raised alarm among civil liberties and immigrant rights groups.

For years, advocacy organizations, legal aid groups, and local governments have advised immigrants not to open their doors to immigration agents unless presented with a warrant signed by a judge. That guidance is rooted in Supreme Court rulings that generally prohibit law enforcement from entering a home without judicial approval. Campaigners say the new ICE directive directly undercuts those protections and conflicts with Fourth Amendment safeguards against unreasonable searches.

The reported policy shift comes as President Donald Trump’s administration dramatically expands immigration enforcement nationwide, deploying thousands of officers as part of a mass deportation campaign.

According to a whistleblower complaint, the memo has not been widely circulated within ICE but has been used to train new officers. Recruits and officers still in training are reportedly being instructed to follow the memo’s guidance, even where it contradicts existing written training materials.

Responding to the reports, Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to the Associated Press that individuals served with administrative warrants have already received “full due process and a final order of removal.” She added that officers issuing such warrants had also established probable cause for the arrest.

The development has intensified debate over the balance between immigration enforcement and constitutional rights, with critics warning that the policy could erode long-standing legal protections within private homes.