President Donald Trump oversaw a surge in ICE arrests during the first 50 days of his second term in office—more than doubling the daily rate under President Joe Biden’s administration—newly released figures show.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents made 32,809 migrant arrests between January 20 and March 10, officials said at a news conference on Wednesday.
By comparison, ICE arrested and detained about 255 people each day last year under Biden. Despite the sharp increase, the numbers still fall narrowly short of his election promise to carry out “the largest deportation program of criminals in the history of America,” when he referenced the 1954 “Operation Wetback,” which rounded up an estimated 1 million people.
Why It Matters
At the current daily rate, over a four-year term, more than 950,000 arrests would be made, though that does not mean they would all be deported.
There are more than 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, according to analysts. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on January 29 that the new Trump administration recognized all undocumented migrants as criminals “because they illegally broke our nation’s laws.”
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
What To Know
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE leaders claim they discovered that the Biden administration was manipulating ICE arrest data to mislead the public. Officials allege the previous administration was “cooking the books,” reporting tens of thousands of arrests while actually releasing many people into the community under catch-and-release policies.
In fiscal year 2024, ICE recorded 33,242 at-large arrests—which refers to arrests made in community settings rather than jails or border checkpoints. In the first 50 days of Trump’s second term, ICE has made 32,809 at-large arrests, nearly matching the total from the entire previous year.
“We have returned ICE to its core mission, which is arresting people who violate our immigration law. Secretary Noman and I are changing the culture of ICE to one of action and accountability,” ICE acting Director Todd Lyons told reporters on a press call.
Of the undocumented migrants arrested, 14,111 have prior criminal convictions, while 9,980 face pending criminal charges. Additionally, 8,718 were apprehended for immigration violations.
According to ICE officials, 1,555 of the arrests since Trump’s second term began on January 20 involved suspected gang members, 44 involved foreign fugitives and 39 involved known or suspected terrorists.
Officials could not provide a specific number of how many of those arrested have been deported, saying they are working to compile that data.
Detention centers are currently holding 47,600 undocumented immigrants, reaching full capacity. Officials say they are working with the Department of Defense to continuously expand and secure additional space to detain illegal immigrants.
What People Are Saying
ICE acting Director Todd Lyons told reporters on a press call: “I want to be clear that the ICE arrests in the first 50 days of President Trump’s administration are outpacing those that were under the Biden administration. As of yesterday, ICE arrests have surpassed all of last year’s at large criminal arrests. Doubling ICE arrests is just a start.
“We expect these ICE arrests and removal numbers will only go up as we unleash an agency that has had its hands tied behind its back the past four years. These ICE enforcement operations are not only removing criminals from the American communities, but they are also discouraging people from coming to our country illegally.
What Happens Next
As the administration continues its aggressive approach to immigration enforcement, DHS and ICE are urging Congress to provide additional funding to support the growing need for detention capacity and enforcement operations.
Update 3/12/25, 12:44 p.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information.
