New ICE data reveals surge in detentions of non-criminal immigrants under Trump administration – NBC Los Angeles

New data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the Trump administration is shedding light on the scope of recent detentions, revealing that nearly half of the individuals taken into custody during the first two weeks of February have no criminal convictions or pending charges. 

This marks a shift from the administration’s stated focus on deporting criminals, raising questions about the true nature of ICE’s enforcement priorities.

According to new numbers obtained by NBC News, 41% of the 4,422 individuals detained by ICE during this period were undocumented immigrants with no criminal history—more than 1,800 people. 

The figures reflect the broader approach emphasized by Tom Homan, President Trump’s Border Czar, who has repeatedly stated that the administration’s priority is to target “the worst first.” 

“We want to get as many criminals as possible,” Homan asserted, reinforcing the claim that ICE’s focus should be on public safety threats. However, the data challenges this narrative, showing that nearly half of the detainees in February were not criminals. 

In late January, Homan had referred to detaining individuals without criminal histories as “collateral arrests”—a practice that the administration had previously indicated it would try to limit. 

“We are absolutely aware of the fact that there are collateral arrests, that is absolutely a concern to us,” said Lupe Carrasco Cardona from the Community Self Defense Coalition. 

Cardona, who helps organize patrols to monitor ICE activity in South Central LA, expressed alarm that the number of such arrests was far higher than anticipated.

In contrast, the Biden administration’s record during the 2024 federal fiscal year was significantly different. Of the 113,431 immigration arrests made under Biden, only 28% were individuals without criminal records. 

This stark difference has prompted concerns about the current trajectory of ICE’s detention practices under the Trump administration.

While ICE has made arrests involving individuals allegedly wanted for serious crimes such as murder, attempted rape, and firearms smuggling, the agency has not yet released a full breakdown of detentions since President Trump took office. 

According to ICE’s social media, some of those detained were wanted for violent crimes. However, the numbers suggest a broader reach than initially claimed, with 87% of detainees facing lengthy deportation proceedings, which can extend over months or even years.

Moreover, the surge in detentions is placing additional strain on the country’s detention facilities. Nationwide, ICE has a capacity to detain 41,500 individuals, yet by mid-February, the number of people in custody stood at 41,169—just shy of full capacity. 

As a result, the Trump administration has ordered the expansion of detention facilities, including the potential use of Guantanamo Bay, which could house up to 30,000 detainees. However, as of Wednesday, only 112 detainees had been brought to the facility, underscoring the challenges ICE faces in managing its growing detainee population.

The current detention numbers and the nature of the arrests are raising alarm bells about the administration’s broader immigration strategy, and they continue to fuel debates over the impact of these policies on immigrant communities. 

As ICE grapples with its capacity limits and mounting concerns about collateral arrests, the question remains whether the focus on non-criminal immigrants will continue to dominate the administration’s enforcement efforts.