Arrests conducted by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have seen a dramatic increase since Donald Trump returned to the White House, though they remain significantly below the administration's own ambitious targets. The crackdown, driven by policies from immigration czar Stephen Miller, has also shifted focus away from solely targeting individuals with criminal records.
Surge in Arrests Falls Short of Goal
According to data obtained by Axios and confirmed by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, agents have arrested nearly 579,000 individuals since Trump's return to office. In recent weeks, the agency has been making approximately 1,100 arrests per day.
While this marks a sharp rise from the average of 821 daily arrests recorded in the first ten months of 2025, it is still far from the administration's publicly stated objective of 3,000 arrests per day. This goal was set by White House officials, including Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who has championed hardline anti-immigration measures.
Shift in Focus from 'Criminals' to Broader Sweeps
The Trump administration initially insisted its immigration enforcement would prioritise undocumented migrants with criminal convictions. However, that standard has largely been abandoned. A majority of those recently arrested do not have a criminal conviction.
Agents are now reportedly encouraged to make "collateral arrests," detaining undocumented people who happen to be present with someone on a target list. This represents a clear departure from the preceding Biden administration's policy, which did not prioritise individuals without criminal records.
"The new data confirms that the Trump administration isn't focused on legitimate public safety risks, but rather on hitting politically motivated arrest targets," said Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council. He accused DHS of sweeping up families and workers with clean records, including people complying with court obligations.
Legal Challenges and Allegations of Overreach
The aggressive tactics have sparked a wave of legal challenges and allegations of misconduct. In one incident, a 19-year-old college student was arrested and deported while trying to fly home for Thanksgiving, despite a court order allowing her to remain in the US.
Judges have intervened in several cases:
- In Chicago, a judge ordered the release of 600 people detained by ICE without warrants.
- In Washington, D.C., a judge halted similar warrantless arrests following a lawsuit.
Furthermore, a ProPublica investigation revealed that at least 170 American citizens have been detained by ICE, with some held for over a day without access to a lawyer. Reports from detainees include allegations of being beaten, tased, and held in detention facilities in their underwear.
Despite the legal pushback, the administration vows to continue. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson stated Trump is "delivering on the President's promise" by carrying out "the largest mass deportation operation of criminal illegal aliens in American history." DHS's McLaughlin echoed this, calling the current actions "just the beginning" for an agency she claims was "vilified and barred from doing its job" under the previous administration.
