From fast-tracking deportations to third countries to attempting to end TPS protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants, the Trump administration continues to push forward its immigration crackdown as key decisions continue to play out in federal courts.
El Tecolote is tracking the policies shaping immigrant lives in San Francisco and across the country. Below are the latest national and local updates from March. You can find a list of February policy changes here.
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News across the country
Senate confirms new DHS secretary weeks after Trump fired Kristi Noem
Weeks after Trump fired DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the Senate has confirmed Trump’s proposed replacement: Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin.
During his March 18 confirmation hearing, Mullin said he would scale back some of the administration’s most aggressive tactics, including warrantless entries and large-scale raids in cities, while continuing its broader immigration crackdown. He also said he hopes to work with leaders of sanctuary cities rather than against them, signaling a stark difference from Noem’s approach.
Noem faced mounting criticism over DHS operations, including an immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota this winter, during which ICE agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens. Noem also drew scrutiny over a $220 million DHS ad campaign that had been approved by the president, though the White House denied that claim.
Latest update: March 23, 2026
ICE deployed to DHS airports
Following reports of long lines at security checkpoints across the U.S. during the ongoing partial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, President Donald Trump announced March 21 that ICE agents would be deployed to support the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in their duties.
On March 23, reports surfaced of ICE agents at several airports. Trump said the agents would guard exit lanes and check passenger IDs, and would be unmasked while carrying out these operations.
The shutdown, which began Feb. 14 after DHS funding lapsed, has left thousands of DHS workers, including TSA employees,working without pay. Many have called in sick or quit their jobs entirely.
Democrats have refused to fund DHS unless changes are made to immigration enforcement practices, including ending warrantless entries and requiring agents to be identifiable.
Latest update: March 23, 2026
Supreme Court to weigh end of TPS protections for Haitians and Syrians
In April, the Supreme Court will hear arguments over whether the Trump Administration can end the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Haitian and Syrian nationals. The program currently allows more than 350,000 immigrants from these two countries to live and work in the U.S. legally.
For now, TPS protections remain in place for Haitians and Syrians. On Feb. 2, a federal judge blocked the administration’s attempt to end the program for Haitians, and similar efforts affecting Syrians have also been halted by lower courts.
Latest update: March 17, 2026
Appeals court lets Trump keep fast-tracking deportations to third countries
On March 16, a federal appeals court allowed the Trump administration to continue deporting immigrants to countries other than their own without giving them the opportunity to raise safety concerns. The decision is a response to a Feb. 25 ruling where a federal judge had declared that this policy was unlawful, noting a lack of due process for those deported.
The Trump administration began implementing the controversial policy last March, and has reached a number of agreements with countries across the world, including El Salvador and South Sudan, so they can receive deported immigrants from other nationalities.
Latest update: March 16, 2026
News in San Francisco
Video of immigration arrest at SFO raises concerns
On March 23, multiple videos shared online showed federal immigration agents detaining, handcuffing and forcing a woman into a wheelchair, before escorting her and her daughter through a domestic terminal.
By the next morning, Mayor Daniel Lurie issued a statement describing the situation as an “isolated incident,” saying local officials “have no reason to believe there is broader federal immigration enforcement at SFO.”
DHS, meanwhile, said in a statement on X that ICE officers had arrested the mother and daughter, who had a final removal order from an immigration judge from 2019. The agency also said it is working to deport the family to Guatemala, their home country.
In a statement, the SFPD said officers responded to a 911 call around 10:00 p.m. on March 22 and determined the situation involved federal immigration officials. While officers remained at the scene, SFPD said it was “not involved in the incident.” Some local lawmakers have raised concern about whether the response aligns with the city’s sanctuary ordinance.
In December, the New York Times reported that TSA has shared traveler information with immigration officials when individuals are suspected of having removal orders, allowing agents to quickly detain and deport them at airports.
Latest update: March 23, 2026
San Francisco immigration court is down to two judges
The San Francisco immigration court is set to only have two judges on the bench by mid-March, according to Mission Local, further delaying asylum cases.
At the start of last year, the court had 21 judges. But the Trump administration’s decision to fire a dozen of them and other judges’ decisions to retire and request transfers has hollowed out the courthouses. Citing cutting costs, federal officials have also decided to close the courthouse on Montgomery Street by next year, with services moved to Concord
Latest update: March 6, 2026
Judge blocks ICE efforts to re-detain San Francisco nanny
On Feb. 26, a San Francisco federal judge issued a preliminary injunction preventing ICE from detaining a 66-year-old immigrant woman. The judge said that ICE needs to hold a pre-detention hearing to determine whether the woman is a danger to the community or a flight risk in order to detain her. ICE, meanwhile, has tried to argue that it is allowed to keep her in detention while her asylum case moves forward.
In mid-February, immigration agents first arrested the 66-year-old woman, an asylum seeker from Russia, who was headed to work in San Francisco’s Diamond Heights neighborhood, sending alarm among immigrant advocates. A judge ordered her release by that evening, responding to a habeas corpus petition filed by the immigration law office that represents her that challenged the legality of her detention.
Latest update: Feb. 26, 2026