President Trump is untying the hands of ICE agents as he looks to fulfill his pledge to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history.

Reversing a Biden-era rule, Trump has lifted restrictions on arresting unlawful aliens at so-called "sensitive locations" such as churches and schools.

Trump unblocks ICE arrests

The policy was announced in a memo from acting Department of Homeland Security director Benjamine Huffman. The new administration said the change would ensure criminals cannot shelter from the law.

"This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens -- including murders and rapists -- who have illegally come into our country," the spokesperson said.

"Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America's schools and churches to avoid arrest," the statement continued. "The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense."

The Obama administration was first to introduce rules limiting where ICE agents can perform their lawful duties. Biden's DHS director, Alejandro Mayorkas, severely constrained ICE's law enforcement role, carving out an extensive list of areas where agents could not go.

Those locations included schools, places of worship, hospitals, and other places where people engage in "essential activities."

Crackdown begins

Since returning to the White House on Monday, Trump has taken a series of sweeping actions to curtail mass immigration - declaring a national emergency at the border, suspending asylum and ordering an end to birthright citizenship, among other initiatives.

Trump's mass deportations pledge has raised alarm and backlash within so-called "sanctuary" jurisdictions with large populations of unlawful aliens.

Anticipating obstruction, the Justice Department has issued a memorandum directing federal prosecutors to target state and local officials who block immigration enforcement.

The Trump administration is also expected to broaden what kinds of aliens ICE can target. Under Biden-Mayorkas, the rules left the most illegal aliens without a criminal record - and many who did commit certain crimes, such as drunk driving - off-limits.

While the Trump administration is prioritizing serious offenders, border czar Tom Homan has made clear that anyone living in the country without authorization is facing potential removal.

The Trump administration is also sharpening the terminology used to describe illegal immigrants, from "non-citizen" to the traditional usage "alien."

The promised ICE raids began on Tuesday, with over 300 individuals arrested during Trump's first full day back in the presidency.