The Trump administration has begun immigration raids as part of an operation expected to target 2,000 immigrants over the next few days, a senior U.S. official told NBC News on Sunday.
So far, the pace has started slow; the official confirmed a handful of arrests had taken place, but the exact number was not immediately clear. The raids are expected to take place in as many as 10 cities.
Earlier Sunday afternoon, there was little evidence of massive immigration enforcement operations, as immigrant communities prepared for their arrival.
Two senior Department of Homeland Security officials told NBC News last week that the raids, which had been postponed several weeks ago, were scheduled to take place on Sunday. But the administration altered its plans from a large-scale sweep to a smaller set of arrests over the coming week after news reports informed immigrant communities about the raids, The New York Times reported Sunday, citing several current and former Department of Homeland Security officials familiar with the operation.