Operation Take Back America represents an extensive enforcement initiative aimed at addressing illegal immigration, cartels, trafficking, and gang-related activities.
As part of Operation Take Back America, the Trump administration has prosecuted over 840 illegal immigrants for immigration-related offenses within just one week, focusing on issues such as border crimes, human trafficking, and gang violence.
In the third week of March, federal prosecutors across six border districts in Arizona, Texas, California, and New Mexico filed hundreds of cases. These cases involved a wide range of charges, from illegal reentry and unlawful entry to human smuggling and drug trafficking, as announced by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in a statement on March 24
here. A significant number of those charged had prior felony convictions, including violent and sexual offenses.
In Arizona, for example, 217 individuals were
charged, with many facing smuggling accusations. The Southern District of Texas
filed 246 cases, including 91 for illegal reentry, often involving individuals with serious criminal backgrounds. Prosecutors in California
brought cases against previously deported felons,
including suspects linked to murder and assault with intent to rape. High volumes of prosecutions were also reported in
New Mexico and
Western Texas.
“We appreciate the tremendous effort put forth by our border prosecutors in bringing these cases to light and enhancing the safety of our border,” the DOJ stated in a press release.
Initially, Operation Take Back America was introduced in a memo dated March 6 by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, aimed at consolidating President Donald Trump’s key policy goals into a comprehensive program leveraging resources from the DOJ’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
The memorandum from Blanche outlines the plan to target illegal immigration, drug and human trafficking, and organized crime, including cartels specified in
Executive Order 14157. The initiative will cover prosecutions linked to immigration enforcement, including actions against sanctuary jurisdictions. Prosecutors are directed to pursue the most severe, defensible charges—including capital offenses when applicable—and to seek detention when essential for public safety.
Additionally, the DOJ
announced intentions to extradite three alleged members of the Tren de Aragua (TdA)—a violent Venezuelan gang classified as a terrorist organization—who reportedly entered the United States unlawfully after allegedly perpetrating serious crimes in Chile, including murder and kidnapping. The three gang members have been labeled “alien enemies” in accordance with Trump’s
proclamation invoking a seldom-used 18th-century law that designates members of Tren de Aragua as invading “alien enemies” of the United States in association with the Venezuelan regime.
“The Justice Department is taking all necessary legal measures to ensure these individuals are swiftly returned to Chile to face justice for their heinous crimes,” Blanche stated. “In fact, we would have already deported these violent gang members to Chile had it not been for the nationwide injunction imposed by a single judge in Washington D.C., which we are currently challenging in the D.C. Circuit. We hope that common sense and justice will prevail.”
Blanche was referencing U.S. District Judge James Boasberg’s injunction that prevents the government from deporting Tren de Aragua gang members based on the Alien Enemies Act, which allows for the removal of individuals declared as “alien enemies” with minimal due process.
In a related action, the Department of Homeland Security
has renewed its emergency declaration for a “Mass Influx of Aliens,” first established after Trump’s inauguration in January. The renewed
designation, effective March 25, grants enhanced authorities to federal and local law enforcement to tackle illegal immigration.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem cited ongoing pressures on the border after four years of unprecedented numbers of crossings under President Joe Biden—estimated to exceed 8 million since 2021—as justification for this decision. The extension aligns with Trump’s commitment to execute the largest mass deportation effort in U.S. history.
“While encounters along the southwest border decreased in February 2025, historical trends over the past four years strongly suggest that without this [Mass Influx of Aliens] finding, individuals are likely to resume crossing the border, and the number of crossings is expected to rise again before DHS can establish operational control,” Noem explained in the notice.
“It is precisely measures such as this one that have maintained controlled numbers.”
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