(LOS ANGELES) New federal data show immigration arrests in Southern California climbed to levels not seen in years, with 4,163 arrests in the Los Angeles area from June 6–August 7, 2025, then easing after a federal judge limited how agents can target people. The burst began soon after President Trump’s second term launched an aggressive enforcement plan, and it has reshaped daily life across Los Angeles.
Between June 6 and June 26, nearly 1,900 people were arrested by ICE and Customs and Border Protection, averaging 88 a day. After July 8, arrests fell to 1,371 over the next month—still high by recent standards, but down from the June peak. Officials and court records tie the slowdown to a July 11 temporary restraining order by U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, which bars agents in Southern and Central California from using race, language, vocation, or location as the basis for stops without reasonable suspicion of unlawful presence.
Nationwide, the scale of enforcement has surged. From January 20 to June 27, ICE made more than 109,000 arrests, a 120% increase over the same period in 2024. California accounted for about 7% of those arrests, trailing only Texas and Florida, according to data reviewed by researchers and advocates.
Court order slows surge after June peak
The court’s order narrowed on-the-street tactics that had become common in the early months of 2025, including sweeps at home‑improvement stores and workplace checkpoints. Since the ruling, community groups report fewer mass stops at places like parking lots and car washes.
The Department of Justice has appealed, seeking to restore broader arrest powers, leaving families unsure whether the brief lull will last.
The Department of Homeland Security says its priority remains public safety. “We will continue to enforce the law and remove the worst of the worst,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. Yet in June, 60–68% of those taken into custody in Southern California had no criminal convictions, and 57–58% had never been charged with a crime, according to aggregated local data and court filings. That gap between stated focus and actual results has fueled legal challenges and public protests.
Graeme Blair of UCLA said the numbers show a pattern that does not match the rhetoric. Researchers with the Deportation Data Project at UCLA and UC Berkeley point to a heavy concentration of street arrests of people with no criminal history. Since January 20, officials made roughly 15,000 such street arrests nationwide, with nearly half in June alone; about 90% of those were Latin American.
Key takeaway: The July 11 court order limited broad, location- and characteristic-based stops, which corresponded with a measurable decline in mass street arrests after the June peak.
Who is being arrested, and where
Arrest records reviewed by advocates and academics indicate:
- Nearly half of those arrested in June in Los Angeles were Mexican nationals.
- Most were men, with a median age of 39.
- Many had lived in the United States for more than ten years.
- A large share had U.S.-born children.
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the pattern underscores how the current push is sweeping up long-time residents with deep ties rather than recent arrivals alone.
The administration’s plan, launched in January, set a goal of 3,000 arrests per day nationwide. Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, has championed the approach. To overcome “sanctuary” limits in cities like Los Angeles, officials leaned on street and workplace operations rather than jail transfers. Border Patrol Sector Chief Gregory Bovino defended those efforts and denied that noncriminals are being targeted.
Field reports describe:
- Pre-dawn home visits
- Stops outside schools
- Highway pullovers in the Los Angeles basin
State officials called the tactics indiscriminate. Diana Crofts-Pelayo, a spokeswoman for the governor’s office, said the raids were politically driven and aimed at families who have lived in California for years. The White House disputes that, saying the focus is on people with removal orders and public safety threats.
Politics, protests, and pushback
The first weeks of the surge brought tense scenes across Los Angeles. Community groups mobilized legal observers, and city leaders criticized federal actions. The administration responded by deploying National Guard units and U.S. Marines to support logistics around enforcement operations, according to internal summaries described by local officials. That move drew sharp reaction from immigrant advocates and labor groups, who said troops had no place near civil arrests.
For families, the impact has been immediate:
- Parents kept children home from school.
- Day laborers avoided their usual corners.
- Restaurant owners reported missing staff.
- Legal clinics described crowded intakes and short timelines.
After arrest, people are processed at local ICE facilities, then moved to detention centers while removal cases proceed. Hearings are often fast, and access to lawyers can be limited, attorneys say. Some win stays based on the current court order; others receive removal orders with little time to notify relatives.
Federal officials argue the campaign restores the rule of law. Kathleen Bush-Joseph of the Migration Policy Institute notes that geography and local cooperation help explain why Southern states show even higher arrest rates than California. Still, Los Angeles remains a central test of the strategy because of its large immigrant population and strong local limits on cooperation with ICE.
Data, trends, and what’s next
According to ICE’s official Enforcement and Removal Operations reports, which the agency updates periodically, arrests fluctuate during major policy shifts. The current spike and partial slowdown follow that pattern, with the July court order redirecting on-the-ground tactics.
Readers can review ICE’s national reporting at https://www.ice.gov/reports/ero.
California’s share of nationwide arrests—about 7% this year—masks how concentrated activity has been inside the greater Los Angeles region. Local trackers counted 4,163 arrests between June 6 and August 7, with the month of June responsible for nearly half. After July 8, daily averages fell from 88 to 44, reflecting fewer mass stops but sustained enforcement in homes and at traffic pulls.
The legal fight is far from settled. The Justice Department’s appeal could bring back the broadest tactics, possibly triggering another spike. If the order stands, agents will have to continue showing reasonable suspicion beyond race, language, or common work sites like day-labor corners before stopping people. Families remain watchful.
This Article in a Nutshell
A summer surge in Los Angeles immigration arrests—4,163 from June 6 to August 7, 2025—peaked in June. Court limits on stops after July 11 lowered mass sweeps. Data show many arrested lacked criminal convictions, raising legal challenges, protests, and uncertainty as the Justice Department appeals the restraining order.
