Since President Donald Trump took office, authorities have arrested more than 30,000 illegal immigrants. A senior official from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) revealed in a phone call with reporters that, from January 20th (the date of President Trump’s inauguration) through March 10th, ICE had arrested approximately 32,800 individuals living in the U.S. illegally. This information was reported by Reuters and ABC News on March 12th.
Among the arrested individuals, 14,000 were convicted criminals, while 9,800 had pending criminal charges. Additionally, 1,155 were suspected gang members, and 44 had committed crimes abroad and fled the country. The remaining 8,718, or 27 percent, were categorized as “immigration violators.” These individuals were not originally targeted but were arrested after their illegal status was confirmed during the detention of individuals related to criminal activities.
Todd Lyons, the Acting Director of ICE, emphasized the shift in policy: “We are ending catch-and-release and returning to ICE’s core mission of arresting people who violate our immigration laws.” Lyons added that changes were being made to transform ICE’s culture into one of action and accountability under the leadership of Secretary Christie Nome.
In comparison to the previous administration, which saw 113,400 arrests of illegal immigrants in fiscal year 2024, the Biden administration’s number of arrests and deportations had increased due to a surge in migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. ICE officials also highlighted that the number of arrests has risen significantly, and current detention facilities have reached their capacity of 47,600 detainees. The agency normally receives government funding to detain an average of 41,500 people, but officials are working with lawmakers to secure additional funding. Furthermore, they are collaborating with the Marshals Service and Bureau of Prisons to add more detention facilities.
ICE acknowledged that some individuals had been released due to judicial decisions and humanitarian factors, including medical conditions.