Picture this: you've got a routine appointment, just a check-in. You've done everything right, all your paperwork is in order. But when you walk through that door, you don't come back out. That's the reality unfolding for many migrants across Texas, including folks here in Houston, as federal immigration agents change up their arrest strategies. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials are stepping up arrests, and they're doing it with some new approaches. Advocates and attorneys on the ground are telling us they're seeing a big shift, especially at places like the Dallas ICE Field Office. What used to be a simple, predictable check-in is now a high-stakes moment, often ending in detention. Consider Dennis's friend, a Cuban national living here for two and a half years. He had his asylum claim, residency application, and taxes all sorted. He even worked at the airport, passing through TSA daily without a hitch. But during what should've been his third routine ICE check-in, he was detained. Just like that. His friends and family are left wondering what went wrong, especially when everything seemed by the book. Oscar Escoto, a Dallas immigration attorney who used to work for the federal government, says this isn't just an isolated case. He and other lawyers are seeing a consistent spike in people being held at these appointments. "A routine check-in is no longer that," Escoto told KERA. He explains that people now have to prepare for tougher questions and a real chance they'll be detained. It's a significant change that's catching people off guard, forcing legal teams to quickly adjust their game plan. Now, about why this is happening. There's been talk, since a previous Trump administration, of ICE aiming for a minimum number of daily arrests. A former Homeland Security advisor, Stephen Miller, even spoke publicly about a goal of "a minimum of 3,000 arrests for ICE every day." While ICE denies having quotas, the numbers speak for themselves. Data from the University of California, Berkeley's Deportation Data Project shows a massive increase in arrests — around 138,000 nationwide in a seven-month period, with almost a quarter of those happening right here in Texas. Specifically, daily arrests jumped about 30% in the ICE regions covering Houston and Dallas. It seems ICE isn't working alone either. Ariel Ruiz Soto, a senior policy analyst with the Migration Policy Institute, points out that Border Patrol is getting more involved in interior enforcement. He says ICE simply can't hit these high arrest and removal targets without that extra help. This joint effort expands how far federal enforcement can reach into our communities. Adding to the pressure, attorneys like Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, a legal advisor for the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), are reporting new tactics. Her clients are getting messages late at night, sometimes with just hours' notice, telling them to come in for last-minute check-ins. This gives people zero time to talk to a lawyer, to understand their rights, or to figure out their options. Many walk into these appointments completely unaware that they might not leave that building. It's a sudden, jarring shift that puts folks at a huge disadvantage legally. From a legal standpoint, these changes raise serious questions about due process and the right to proper legal counsel. When appointments are sprung on people, or when routine visits turn into detentions without clear warning, it strains the idea of a fair legal process. Attorneys are now having to work even harder to protect their clients' rights and push back against policies that appear to prioritize raw numbers over individual circumstances or established legal processes. Attorney Escoto admits that the environment is tougher than ever for immigrant communities. But he also insists that success before an immigration judge is still possible. "What we have to brace for is ongoing changes that are adversely affecting the immigrant community," he said. "So we have to fight harder than before." For you, for your friends, and for our Houston communities, it means staying informed and understanding these shifts in immigration enforcement policy. This isn't just about statistics; it's about people's lives and their access to justice. Priscilla Rice is KERA’s communities reporter.