Well, it didn’t take long. The white supremacist Proud Boys have officially declared their return, thanks to Donald Trump’s mass pardons on January 20. And with his second term now in full swing, they’re not just celebrating — they’re actively looking to get involved, including in immigration enforcement.
According to the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE), the Proud Boys are already positioning themselves as potential enforcers for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Tracking their activity on Telegram, GPAHE has reported that Proud Boys PDX fantasizes about being “deputized as ICE under Trump’s second term” to aid in mass deportations.
It doesn’t stop there. Proud Boys in Upstate New York are ecstatic about rumors circulating on their platforms, suggesting that ICE is allegedly offering “$750 per illegal immigrant” reported through its tip form. They’ve boasted about having a “network set up” ready to deliver information. Meanwhile, in Northern Nevada, the group shared an ominous image depicting a swastika rising like a sun with the caption, “A new day is about to dawn in America … it’s going to be glorious.”
From immigration bounties to threats against the LGBTQ+ community
The Cape Fear and Columbus Proud Boys chapters have taken things a step farther, reportedly offering to take on “independent contracts” to collect “bounties on illegals.” Their threats don’t stop with immigrants; they’ve also issued warnings to drag queens — one of their frequent targets of harassment — suggesting that Pride Month in June will be anything but peaceful. The same chapter was responsible for intimidating pride events in 2023, proving their threats aren’t just talk.
As Trump signed executive orders targeting immigrants on his first night back in office, the Hell Valley Proud Boys took to social media, calling for the previous administration and federal government to be “hung for treason.”
The Proud Boys’ long history of hate
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has long classified the Proud Boys as a right-wing extremist group with a history of using violence and intimidation to push their white nationalist agenda. Their targets? Immigrants, women, the LGBTQ+ community, and anyone who doesn’t align with their so-called “Western chauvinist” ideals. Their ideology is deeply rooted in misogyny, anti-immigrant sentiment, Islamophobia, and anti-LGBTQ+ hatred; opposing multiculturalism, feminism, and anything they perceive as “woke.”
The group, which claims to have 146 recognized chapters across the U.S. and international branches in Canada, Australia, Europe, and Asia, has consistently framed immigrants — especially non-Western ones — as a threat to the “American way of life.” To them, immigration isn’t just a policy issue; it’s a cultural war, one that they believe justifies their extremist rhetoric and actions. They view immigrants, particularly from “non-Western” cultures, as threats to the American way of life, and immigration as a critical issue facing the U.S.
Often, the Proud Boys frame this as a “cultural” issue, pointing to differences in religion, language, and (in their view), morality as signs of inferior and dangerous groups. Like other extremist groups, many elements of the Proud Boys regularly refer to non-Western (or non-white) immigrants as “invaders.”
The Trump administration’s heavy-handed immigration crackdown
While the Proud Boys rally behind Trump, his administration is wasting no time in issuing harsh new directives. A recently leaked Department of Homeland Security memo revealed plans to fast-track deportations for immigrants who entered the U.S. through Biden-era legal pathways. Under the directive signed by acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamin Huffman, ICE has been granted unprecedented authority to deport immigrants who arrived via the CBP One app or the parole program for specific countries.
These programs allowed more than a million immigrants to enter legally since 2023, providing temporary protection and legal pathways — but now, they face rapid deportation with little recourse.
Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, recently proudly declared on social media: “Deportation flights have begun,” accompanied by official images of people being loaded onto military-style aircraft. While deportation flights are nothing new, the administration’s messaging and militarization of enforcement efforts are clear signals of their intent.
What comes next?
The Proud Boys’ return, coupled with the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration agenda, paints a grim picture for immigrant communities and marginalized groups in the U.S. The threat they pose is no longer just rhetoric — it’s becoming reality.
For those who thought the Proud Boys were gone or irrelevant, think again. They’re back, they’re emboldened, and they’re eyeing new ways to enforce their hateful agenda — this time, with the backing of the White House.
Felicia J. Persaud is the publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, a daily news outlet focused on positive news about Black immigrant communities from the Caribbean and Latin America.