(TEXAS) Texas recorded the highest rate of ICE arrests in 2025, leading a national surge in enforcement that accelerated under President Trump’s second‑term policies. From January 20 to late June 2025, arrests rose sharply across several southern and border states, with Texas at the center. Measured by arrests per 100,000 residents, Texas posted an arrest rate of 86.6, well ahead of other states. Florida, Utah, Arizona, Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Nevada followed in that order.
The spike aligned with a broader federal shift that removed many of the limits set during President Biden’s first term and widened who could be targeted. According to CBS News reporting, ICE arrests increased by 120% in the first five months of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. For families and employers in Texas, this meant more workplace checks, more transfers from local jails to ICE custody, and more at‑large operations in communities.
Why Texas leads: policy, geography, and cooperation
Officials point to several factors that help explain why Texas tops both per‑capita and total counts:
- Geography: A long border with Mexico and major interior checkpoints.
- Population: A large foreign‑born population.
- Local cooperation: Deep coordination between many county jails and federal agencies.
- Policy change: ICE leadership restored wider field discretion; current guidance allows arrest of anyone violating federal immigration law.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said violent offenders remain a priority, but under the current policy anyone violating federal immigration law is subject to arrest. That change increased the likelihood that people without criminal records—previously less likely to be picked up—could be arrested during routine jail bookings, traffic stops, or follow‑up checks by enforcement teams. The result: more arrests and additional pressure on detention space and court dockets, with Texas absorbing a large share.
“Field offices have wider discretion again,” said ICE leadership — a shift with tangible consequences for communities.
Per‑capita and detention data (2025)
Analysts stress that per‑capita rates are useful because they adjust for population size. Independent researchers show concentrated enforcement activity across the South and Southwest.
Per capita arrests (arrests per 100,000 residents):
– Texas: 86.6
– Florida: 55.9
– Utah: 47.0
– Arizona: 46.8
– Tennessee: 45.9
– Arkansas: 44.4
– Oklahoma: 43.6
– Louisiana: 42.7
– Georgia: 42.5
– Nevada: 40.6
Detention counts (as of September 2025):
– Texas: 13,307 detainees
– Louisiana: 7,470
– California: 3,727
– Georgia: 2,998
– Arizona: 2,678
Largest single facility average daily population in 2025:
– Adams County Detention Center (MS): 2,172 detainees per day
These figures show enforcement concentrated in the South and Southwest and align with reports of expanding detention capacity in those regions.
How arrests are occurring on the ground
Three main streams of arrests emerged:
- Community‑based (at homes, workplaces, public spaces)
- Jail‑based transfers (local bookings flagged to ICE)
- At‑large operations in sanctuary jurisdictions (outside jails)
Key dynamics:
– In Texas and Florida, strong county‑to‑federal cooperation produces many jail‑based transfers.
– In sanctuary areas like parts of California, ICE relies more on at‑large work, which is resource‑intensive but still generates high absolute numbers in big immigrant populations.
– The core takeaway: policy direction and local cooperation together shape where and how ICE carries out operations.
Expert analysis and why per‑capita rates matter
Migration policy experts highlight two interacting drivers:
– A return to broader enforcement discretion at the federal level.
– Operational focus on states that enable federal‑local coordination.
Points from analysts:
– When local rules allow jail notifications or detainers, ICE converts more local arrests into federal custody (Migration Policy Institute).
– Per‑capita rates reveal intensive operations in states with smaller immigrant populations (Prison Policy Initiative, TRAC Immigration).
– Texas combines proximity to the border, robust cooperation, and detention capacity, placing it high both by rate and scale.
Human impact: communities, families, and employers
The policy shift was felt quickly across everyday life:
- Nearly 40,000 Mexican nationals were taken into custody in the first half of 2025.
- Mixed‑status households faced amplified risk: a minor traffic stop that leads to a booking can trigger an ICE check and transfer.
- Industries reliant on foreign labor (construction, food processing, hospitality) reported more audits and surprise visits.
- Employers faced higher turnover risk and increased cost/uncertainty around compliance checks.
Texas communities also saw an expanded footprint of Alternatives to Detention (ATD):
– Nationwide ATD enrollment (as of September 2025): 181,401 people
– Largest ATD caseloads: San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, New York
Note: ATD growth supplements—not replaces—rising detention counts, and transfers between states mean ATD and detention trends can affect Texas families even when the largest ATD caseloads sit elsewhere.
Detention capacity and transfers
ICE expanded efforts to increase bed capacity during 2024–2025. Consequences:
- States with large detention infrastructure (e.g., Louisiana) became hubs because they can absorb transfers quickly.
- People arrested in Texas may be moved to facilities in Louisiana or Mississippi within days, complicating family contact and legal representation.
Legal process and access to counsel
Typical detention process:
– Intake, basic medical screening, identity interviews, and claims for relief.
– Some detainees request bond or ATD release; others remain detained because of flight risk or criminal convictions.
– Court backlogs can mean months-long waits for hearings.
Complications:
– Transfers between facilities make it harder to contact counsel and family.
– Attorneys emphasize early legal advice as critical; it can change outcomes significantly.
Legal and policy outlook
Current legal landscape:
– Federal courts are hearing challenges related to enforcement priorities, detention conditions, and use of local jails.
– Administration discussions in 2025 included an ambitious goal (publicly discussed) of up to 1 million deportations annually, though current pace falls below that target.
Key factors shaping the remainder of 2025:
– Detention capacity: continue expanding beds or shift more people to ATD.
– Court backlogs: more arrests = more cases = longer waits.
– Local cooperation: county decisions on jail notifications will directly affect federal custody volumes.
– Legal challenges: court rulings could change operational rules.
For official statistics and ongoing updates, see ICE’s published data:
– The ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations statistics page lists detention counts, removals, and trends.
State comparisons and operational differences
How the top states compare in 2025:
– Texas: high rate and high absolute counts due to border proximity and cooperation.
– Florida: large foreign‑born population + strong local cooperation.
– Arizona: border crossings + county jail cooperation.
– Tennessee, Oklahoma: notable increases in jail‑based arrests driven by large counties’ booking practices.
– Louisiana: major detention hub influencing where people are held.
– Arkansas, Utah: high rates despite smaller immigrant populations because of concentrated operations and available detention beds.
– Nevada, Georgia: mixes of community and jail arrests contributing to their top‑ten positions.
Trade‑offs of enforcement models:
– At‑large operations: more disruptive in neighborhoods, resource‑intensive.
– Jail pickups: less visible to the public but can sweep in people who would have avoided contact with federal officers.
Practical advice for residents and employers
Community groups recommend practical steps:
- Keep important documents safe and accessible.
- Develop a family plan for child care and emergency contacts.
- Workers should know workplace rights during ICE visits.
- Employers should train supervisors on how to respond to official requests while avoiding discrimination.
- People with pending cases should keep contact info current with the court and counsel.
These steps cannot prevent arrests, but they reduce confusion and help families stay connected if someone is transferred.
Community responses
Local responses in Texas include:
- Legal aid groups training volunteers to help families fill paperwork, gather records, and track transfers.
- Faith and neighborhood organizations running “know your rights” sessions in plain language.
- Employers quietly revising hiring and recordkeeping practices to remain compliant.
- School counselors providing support to children worried about parential absence.
These efforts aim to mitigate immediate harms while the larger policy environment evolves.
Bottom line
The data point in one direction: Texas remained the epicenter of ICE arrests in 2025 by both rate and absolute numbers. Key figures summarizing the picture:
- 86.6 arrests per 100,000 residents (Texas, 2025 per‑capita rate)
- 13,307 people in ICE detention in Texas (September 2025)
- 120% increase in ICE arrests in the first five months of 2025 vs the same period in 2024 (CBS News reporting)
- Nearly 40,000 Mexican nationals taken into custody in the first half of 2025
- 181,401 people enrolled nationwide in ATD programs (September 2025)
Policy shifts under President Trump expanded who can be targeted, rolling back limits from President Biden’s earlier guidance. Combined with local cooperation and expanded detention capacity, Texas’s leading position is unlikely to change quickly. Families, employers, and local officials face ongoing practical challenges: finding legal help, keeping children safe, and managing workplaces during a period of heightened enforcement.
This Article in a Nutshell
In early 2025, Texas recorded the highest per‑capita rate of ICE arrests—86.6 per 100,000 residents—driven by a federal policy shift that restored broad enforcement discretion. ICE arrests rose 120% in the first five months of 2025 compared with 2024, producing more community operations, jail‑based transfers, and at‑large sweeps. Texas’s border geography, large foreign‑born population, and local cooperation with county jails amplified both rates and absolute detention counts; the state held 13,307 detainees in September 2025. The surge strained detention capacity and court dockets, prompted transfers to hubs like Louisiana, and affected families, employers, and legal access. Nearly 40,000 Mexican nationals were detained in the first half of 2025, while nationwide ATD enrollment reached 181,401. Experts say continued local‑federal cooperation and detention availability will shape enforcement patterns for the rest of 2025.
