How Many Immigrants Has ICE Arrested and Detained This Year?

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is holding a larger ICE detention population than at any point this year, with 61,226 individuals in custody as of August 24, 2025. New data show a sharp rise in arrests and book‑ins driven by policy shifts inside the agency, including stepped‑up interior enforcement and a focus on volume. In July alone, 31,273 people were booked into ICE detention, of whom 27,475 were arrested by ICE and 3,798 by Customs and Border Protection.

Analysts caution that daily bed counts understate the actual flow: tens of thousands more move through facilities over time than the single‑day snapshot suggests.

Who is being detained?

The detained population has changed in makeup as arrests ramp up. According to data analyzed by TRAC Immigration, 70.3% (43,021) of people currently held have no criminal convictions. Many listed “convictions” reflect minor offenses, including traffic violations, or pending charges that may later be dismissed.

These figures, current through late August, reflect a broader trend that began in early 2025 and accelerated through the summer.

Geography and facilities

Geography tells part of the story:

• Texas holds the largest number of ICE detainees this fiscal year with 13,360.
• Other top states: Louisiana (7,431), California (3,643), Georgia (2,968), Arizona (2,652).

The Adams County Detention Center in Natchez, Mississippi has emerged as the single facility with the largest average daily population — about 2,170 per day as of August.

While the detained population concentrates in the South, book‑ins come from across the country, reflecting stepped‑up interior arrests far from the border.

Operational changes driving the surge

Behind the numbers is a rapid operational shift. Since late May 2025, ICE officers have been directed to increase arrests of people without criminal records, with a target of 3,000 arrests per day. The target has not been met, but the attempt has fueled a nearly sixfold rise in daily book‑ins based on ICE arrests — from about 215 per day earlier in the year to more than 1,100 per day by June.

Field staff describe the emphasis as “quantity first.” That approach has sparked concern inside the agency and among outside observers about public safety priorities, budgets, and due process.

Monthly and year‑to‑date flows

The volume shows up in broader totals. As of June 14, 2025:

• 204,297 individuals had been booked into ICE detention since the fiscal year began (Oct 1, 2024).
• 65% (133,687) had no criminal convictions.
• 93% had no violent convictions.

This pattern — heavy on non‑criminals — aligns with field reports that workplace and street operations increasingly sweep up long‑time residents who lack recent or serious criminal history.

Enforcement expansion and official stance

Acting Director Todd M. Lyons and Deputy Director Madison D. Sheahan have publicly stressed that enforcement advances public safety and national security, pointing to record activity during the first 100 days of President Trump’s second term.

ICE has expanded partnerships with sheriffs and police departments through the 287(g) Program, reporting 579 agreements nationwide, including 444 new agreements since January 20, 2025. These arrangements allow local officers to assist ICE with immigration tasks, expanding the reach of interior operations.

Internal pressures, budget, and conditions

At the same time, internal pressures are evident:

• Field sources cite resource shifts from other federal missions to ICE.
• The agency faces a reported $1 billion budget gap as detention and transport costs climb.
• Some agents argue that chasing numerical arrest targets diverts attention from people who pose real risks.

Advocacy groups describe worsening detention conditions as numbers grow, reporting crowded, “squalid” units and limited access to medical care. Several detention centers named in complaints also appear on the list of facilities with rising headcounts this summer.

Length of stay and case movement

Length of stay has decreased since January 2025:

• Average time in custody dropped from about 52 days to 46 days overall.
• For those arrested by ICE, average time is roughly 40 days.

Faster case movement can reflect quicker transfers, stipulated orders, or more “releases for removal,” which move people out of ICE detention while they await removal coordination.

Alternatives to Detention (ATD) and supervision

ICE has scaled up Alternatives to Detention (ATD), which include smartphone check‑ins, telephonic reporting, and GPS ankle monitors.

• As of August 23, 182,584 people were under ATD monitoring nationwide.
• San Francisco topped jurisdictions with 20,463 individuals on ATD.

ATD is being used as a pressure valve amid the surge in detentions, but it has tradeoffs:

• Pros: Allows people to remain at home and continue working.
• Cons: Ankle monitors can be stigmatizing; missed check‑ins (even from a dead battery) can trigger escalated supervision or return to detention.

Lawyers recommend keeping careful records of check‑ins and storing copies of any mailed notices.

Outcomes: releases and removals

On the back end of the pipeline, enforcement outcomes remain murkier. This fiscal year:

• 191,393 people were recorded as “released from detention for removal.”
• Just under 141,000 were recorded as removed, according to the Deportation Data Project.

Analysts warn that ICE’s 2025 removals dataset is still under review for completeness and may undercount removals. That caveat affects how the public reads the gap between arrests, detentions, and actual deportations.

Policy drivers

Several factors changed the enforcement posture:

• The White House, under President Trump, has pushed for expanded enforcement.
• White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller has urged more arrests of non‑criminal immigrants and wider use of detention.

The result, as documented by TRAC Immigration, is a rapidly rising detained population and a broader pool of people entering custody — many without convictions and many long‑time residents.

Community and family impacts

For families and communities, the human impact is immediate:

• Mixed‑status households report sudden separations after routine traffic stops or workplace checks.
• In immigrant‑dense neighborhoods, parents carry powers of attorney so a relative can pick up children if a parent is arrested.
• Local legal clinics report surges in calls about bond hearings, custody transfers, and locating detained loved ones.

Practical questions commonly asked include:

• Does a pending charge make someone a “criminal” in ICE databases?
• How can a custody label say “criminal” when there is no criminal conviction?

Advocates explain that ICE sometimes classifies people as “criminal” based on arrests or charges that may later be dismissed. That classification can affect bond, custody placements, and transfers.

Guidance and resources

The agency’s public guidance points people to:

• ICE Tip Line: 866‑DHS‑2‑ICE (866‑347‑2423) for reporting crimes or suspicious activity.
• For official updates about operations, detention location tools, and policy statements, the ICE website is the main government portal.

Analysis by VisaVerge.com notes that families often use these official resources as first steps while searching for counsel or verifying a relative’s location.

Legal community response and preparedness

Immigration courts face heavy dockets. People in ICE detention often move between facilities, complicating access to counsel.

Attorneys recommend families:

1. Document medical needs and keep a list of medications.
2. Bring key civil documents to any in‑person bond hearing.
3. Stay alert for facility transfers, which can occur with little notice and shift cases across state lines.

Budget pressures and potential shifts

Budget pressures may shape next steps:

• If bed space tightens or transport costs remain high, ICE could move more people into ATD or shift people to facilities with lower per‑diem costs.
• Critics warn that speeding up the pipeline without careful screening risks removing people with strong legal claims or U.S. citizen family ties.
• ICE officials counter that faster case movement prevents system stalls and improves compliance with final orders.

Competing narratives

Policy debates remain stark:

• Supporters cite growth in 287(g) agreements and argue that closer ties with local police help remove people with criminal histories.
• Civil society groups point to the data showing the majority of the detained population now has no criminal convictions, arguing the daily arrest targets have widened the net beyond those who pose threats.

Current status and outlook

The legal community is bracing for continued high volume into the fall. With 61,226 people in custody as of August 24, 2025, and 31,273 new book‑ins in July, the enforcement push shows no sign of slowing.

Whether these numbers translate into sustained removals — or prompt a recalibration when budgets and court backlogs bite — will become clearer as more 2025 data are verified and released.

Key takeaway: detained population totals are rising quickly, driven by directives to increase arrests and broaden interior enforcement, and the majority of those detained currently have no criminal convictions.