Story perspectives

ICE's Operation Buckeye: Targeting Criminals or Innocents?

12/24/2025

Center

ICE Detains Immigrants

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched Operation Buckeye to arrest undocumented immigrants, claiming it targets serious criminals.
However, many detainees lack criminal records, undermining ICE's stated targeting.
Tatjana Vesiolko, a Lithuania-born detainee, has been detained nearly 11 months with no clear removal path.
Critics and lawmakers say detention conditions are inadequate, citing neglect and rising detainee deaths, and they urge closure of facilities such as Delaney Hall.

Left

Trump's Detention Policies

Over 68,400 people are in immigration detention in the United States as of December 14, 2025, a record high per ICE.
According to ICE data, since January the administration arrested more than 328,000 individuals and deported nearly 327,000.
Most detainees have no criminal records.
Critics say President Donald Trump’s administration policies increased detentions and deportations, and that detainee conditions are poor.
They argue these practices undermine justice and human dignity.

History

Historical Context

Operation Wetback, initiated in June 1954 under President Eisenhower, aimed to deport undocumented Mexican immigrants using military-style tactics, resulting in over 250,000 removals in its first year. This operation arose from rising illegal immigration amid the Bracero Program, which had previously allowed legal entry for labor. Today’s Operation Buckeye echoes these practices, raising concerns about human rights and the treatment of detainees.

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ICE Detains Immigrants

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched Operation Buckeye to arrest undocumented immigrants, claiming it targets serious criminals.
However, many detainees lack criminal records, undermining ICE's stated targeting.
Tatjana Vesiolko, a Lithuania-born detainee, has been detained nearly 11 months with no clear removal path.
Critics and lawmakers say detention conditions are inadequate, citing neglect and rising detainee deaths, and they urge closure of facilities such as Delaney Hall.

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