In 2025, ICE Detention Rates Climb; Texas Leads With 13,307 Detainees

(CHICAGO, ILLINOIS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement recorded a sharp surge in enforcement this summer, with fresh detention statistics pointing to an aggressive pace of operations across the United States. As of September 7, 2025, ICE held 58,766 people in detention nationwide, while August alone saw 32,363 people booked into ICE detention following an ICE arrest or a transfer from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Of those booked in August, ICE officers made 28,306 arrests, and CBP added 4,057 arrests through transfers.

Community groups in Chicago say the numbers match what they are seeing on the ground: more checks, more detainers, and more families asking how to prepare for unexpected enforcement.

Who is being detained: profile and trends

The profile of people in custody has shifted notably.

• 70.8% of those currently detained have no criminal convictions—that’s 41,589 out of 58,766 people held as of early September.
• Among people who do have convictions, many involve minor offenses, including traffic violations.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, this trend has raised concerns that current operations are drawing large numbers of nonviolent residents into detention, including long‑time community members with deep family ties.

Geography and facility data

The geography of detention also stands out.

• Texas leads the nation with 13,307 detainees in fiscal year 2025.
• Other states with high counts: Louisiana (7,470), California (3,727), Georgia (2,998), Arizona (2,678).

Facility highlights:

• The single largest facility by average daily population is the Adams County Detention Center in Natchez, Mississippi, averaging 2,172 people in custody as of September.
• ICE lists 179 detention facilities active in late summer, down from 201 sites at the end of June. ICE attributes the swing to whether a facility had at least one person in custody at the moment of data collection.

Alternatives to Detention (ATD) and monitoring

ICE’s Alternatives to Detention program has expanded rapidly.

• Nationwide, ATD now monitors 181,401 families and single individuals.
• Chicago is a major hub with 19,236 people under supervision—second only to San Francisco (20,213). Miami, Los Angeles, and New York round out the top five.
• Chicago’s ICE office tracks 3,259 people via ankle monitors—more than any other office.
• Washington, D.C., showed the sharpest recent jump in monitoring, increasing from 795 people at the end of May to 2,339 by late July.

By the end of July, 25,670 people nationwide wore ankle monitors, up from 21,569 at the end of May.

The rapid growth of ATD and electronic monitoring spreads supervision deeper into neighborhoods and into the daily rhythms of families and workers.

Escalating enforcement and its drivers

Recent patterns indicate a broader sweep: as arrests increase, the share with criminal convictions declines. That suggests more people with no convictions—or only minor issues—are being booked into custody.

Advocates and local attorneys report encountering:

• Parents with long‑running cases
• Home health aides who overstayed visas while caring for relatives
• Construction workers who lost protection after Temporary Protected Status changes

Policy and budget choices are shaping the pace:

• The 2025 reconciliation bill has tripled the budget for ICE and set aside a $10 billion slush fund for the Department of Homeland Security.
• Officials and observers say increased funding is being used for more field operations, more beds, and greater reliance on technology such as location tracking and ankle monitors.

Local groups report what feel like “quota days,” when arrests spike near transit hubs or outside courthouses—though ICE does not publicly confirm quotas.

Local impact in Chicago and regional hotspots

ICE lists Chicago among areas with particularly intense operations, alongside Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, and San Antonio.

On the ground, this has meant:

• Increased check‑ins at field offices
• Early morning residential pickups
• Widespread use of technology‑based supervision

Impacts on daily life and community services:

• Legal clinics and mutual aid groups are stretched thin.
• Teachers report students missing classes after a parent is detained.
• Employers seek counsel about handling I‑9 issues when a worker disappears.
• Parish leaders receive late‑night calls when someone doesn’t return home.

Personal stories echo the data: a mother who overstayed to care for a U.S.‑born child with disabilities, a caregiver who worked extra shifts during the pandemic, and a contractor whose Temporary Protected Status ended.

Public sentiment:

• A July 2025 Gallup poll found 35% of Americans approve of the administration’s handling of immigration, while 62% disapprove.
• Rising outcry in cities reflects concerns that enforcement is sweeping up people who pose no threat and that there is a lack of clear public metrics on priorities, detention length, and family impacts.

Data gaps and transparency issues

Researchers and advocates face significant blind spots:

• ICE does not publish facility‑level daily counts or contractual capacity numbers, hindering assessments of occupancy and strain.
• Recent removals data include far fewer records than prior releases, raising questions about completeness.
• The most recent full enforcement dataset runs only through late July 2025.

Advocates urge regular, timely updates so courts, lawmakers, and the public can track operations in near real time.

Practical advice and legal steps

Community groups and legal aid recommend practical steps for families and individuals:

• Keep copies of IDs, immigration notices, and court dates in a secure folder.
• Share attorney contact details with a trusted friend or family member.
• Know who to call if someone is detained and keep case numbers accessible.
• For loved ones present during an ICE arrest, note the time, place, and any badge numbers.
• Avoid signing documents without legal advice.

For people with pending court dates: showing up matters. Missed hearings can lead to removal orders that are difficult to reverse.

Policy trade‑offs and political context

Officials often frame operations as public safety measures. The current detention statistics—where more than two‑thirds of detainees have no convictions—highlight a trade‑off:

• Broad sweeps may fill beds and expand supervision, but they also increase the chance of detaining people with deep community ties and no threat profile.
• The key policy question is who is being arrested and detained, not just how many.

Budget choices remain contested. Supporters argue increased funds address border pressures and court backlogs. Critics say more enforcement money does not fix adjudication delays or create legal pathways.

Resources and closing observations

For official information on custody and release, ICE provides resources and locator tools:

• U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Detention and Removal Operations: https://www.ice.gov/detain

Chicago’s legal community notes ankle monitors can complicate life for day laborers and shift workers: charger failures or missed pings can trigger warnings or custody reviews, even when people try to comply.

Final takeaway:

• When enforcement ramps up, effects extend far beyond arrests. It changes how people travel to work, seek medical care, and whether they report crimes or wage theft.
• The statistics become daily decisions about safety, dignity, and the future families choose in the United States.