Without any official communication from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) about when it plans to make arrests in the field, immigration advocates say they have mostly had to rely on confirmation from eyewitnesses, local law enforcement, and word of mouth to learn about the extent of enforcement in Nevada since President Donald Trump has promised to crack down on illegal immigration. 

But now, reports of increased immigration enforcement seem to be growing — triggering alarm bells throughout Nevada’s immigrant community and prompting immigration attorneys and progressive groups to convene a press briefing on short notice Monday telling immigrants how to prepare. 

ICE on Tuesday declined to confirm if targeted enforcement activities and a ramped-up presence of agents in the state were accurate.

“Due to operational security reasons and for the safety of our law enforcement personnel, ICE does not confirm or discuss ongoing or future operations. The agency publicly announces the results of operations when appropriate,” an ICE spokesperson told The Nevada Independent.

But according to Laura Martin, the executive director of Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN), the Trump administration has begun sending form messages urging people to self-deport. Last week, she said eight men were arrested by ICE from a work site in the Las Vegas area. Many enforcement activities are taking place in the morning or at construction sites, she said.

Meanwhile, the FBI — which is coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security on immigration enforcement — has reportedly begun unscheduled visits to the homes of immigrant children, according to Michael Kagan, director of the UNLV Immigration Clinic, in the guise of “wellness checks.” 

Calls to the clinic from people in ICE detention facilities, he said, have tripled since the end of last year.

“I think it is generally part of a deliberate effort by the Trump administration to create an atmosphere of fear, even for immigrants who are following the legal process correctly,” said Kagan, whose clinic defends people facing deportation. 

Void of information

ICE has ramped up deportation efforts nationwide in recent months, making nearly 33,000 enforcement arrests as of early March — mostly of people with a criminal background — in comparison to the 33,000 made during all of fiscal year 2024. That includes ICE arresting hundreds of people in Texas during immigration raids and targeting workplaces in California suspected of hiring undocumented workers. 

Meanwhile, four UNLV international students had their visas revoked last week by federal immigration authorities as part of a larger nationwide revocation of student visas. 

The effects of increased immigration enforcement could be especially pronounced in Nevada, which has the largest per capita undocumented population of any state and the nation’s largest share of mixed-status families. The Nevada Immigrant Coalition and PLAN warn that the actions will likely not just affect undocumented individuals, but legal residents as well —  having potential economic impacts across the state. 

But it's proven difficult to substantiate reports about stricter or beefed up immigration enforcement, according to advocates. 

According to federal data, the number of people in ICE detention in Nevada has yet to have significantly increased since Trump has stepped back into office. There were about 274 individuals in ICE custody in Nevada as of February 2025, in comparison to the 215 in detention as of December 2024. 

The agency has said it was unable to provide Nevada-specific arrest numbers and an ICE database on arrests in specific regions has been "under maintenance" since October 2024 — before Trump was elected.

“I think that the data ICE tends to be very selective in the information it released,” Kagan said. “They tend to release information to paint a picture that they want to paint … [it] often means that the data is incomplete and it doesn't show the full context.”

However, ICE has indicated there has been some increased activity in the state. On April 10, the ICE Salt Lake City field office posted on X that it was criminally prosecuting immigrants in Nevada, Utah, Idaho and Montana who failed to complete Trump’s newly established alien registration program and failed to notify a change of address. The agency has also been posting frequent mugshots of immigrants arrested for a crime, including of individuals in Nevada.

There haven’t been “any reports of any big raids” in Nevada, according to Martha Menendez, an immigration attorney with the Nevada Immigrant Coalition, who spoke at the Monday press briefing. Still, Menendez contends that families should have plans in place just in case ICE appears, including keeping immigration documents on hand. 

On Monday, a source told The Nevada Independent on the condition of anonymity that federal law enforcement has begun to initiate targeted immigration enforcement arrests throughout the Las Vegas area as recently as this weekend.

“We have heard the same reports,” Kagan said. 

Informing the public

Menendez underscored the rights immigrants have when they encounter federal agents. She said ICE is not guaranteed the right to enter a private residence or space without a signed judicial warrant, rather than an administrative order — a document issued by ICE that authorizes an arrest or detention. Even if ICE appears, individuals still have the right to remain silent before they are able to consult with a legal counsel.  

Menendez also cautioned against spreading unfounded claims, such as a recent post that said that as many as 700 immigrants working in Las Vegas resorts on temporary visas could be laid off soon — a claim that Bethany Khan, a spokesperson for the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, said is “unfounded.” 

“Culinary members are protected by a strong contract,” Khan said at the Monday press briefing. “You have to have some type of legal work status to work in the gaming industry, and Culinary members do have that.” 

Amid the void of solid information, Make the Road Action Nevada, a nonprofit immigrant advocacy group, is in the process of developing an “ICE tip line” to collect and verify reports of immigration enforcement throughout the community. The tip line, which is supposed to be completed by May 2025, will let individuals submit photos of potential ICE “spottings” and send volunteers on the ground to verify the tips. 

The group is still finalizing details about privacy concerns and logistics.

“This is essential,” said Hallery Ferrini, an immigrant justice organizer with Make the Road Action. “You are seeing that fear within the community, especially now in the undocumented community.” 

Since Trump’s term kicked off, Make the Road — alongside other advocacy groups in Nevada —  have begun to host a flurry of events, including “know your rights” workshops for immigrants and protests against mass deportations.  

“We are taking it as an attack, and so these are things that we are trying to take action on, and letting our community members know that we are here to protect them,” Ferrini said.