With a series of coordinated deportation actions targeting recently arrived families from Central America, the federal authorities intend to arrest at least 2,000 people who are not eligible to remain in the country.

The operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents began over the weekend in places like New York, Florida and Illinois, and it appears they could extend well into this week in up to 10 cities.

So what happens after an immigrant is arrested and begins the legal process of removal?

First off, who are they looking for?

Though millions of people live in the United States without documentation and are periodically targeted for deportation, the latest raids are aimed primarily at families from Central America who have been arriving in large numbers since fall, many of whom have lodged claims for asylum.

With President Trump repeatedly thwarted in his attempts to slow the surge, the raids aim to deport parents and children who are not eligible to stay in the country — some within months after their arrival — as a way to deter others from coming. Those set to be arrested this week have already been ordered deported by immigration judges — often as a result of their failure to appear in court.