During the initial 50 days of his second term, President Donald Trump significantly accelerated the rate of ICE arrests, more than doubling the daily average compared to the previous administration under President Joe Biden, according to recent data.

From January 20 to March 10, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained 32,809 migrants, as reported in a recent news conference. This figure starkly contrasts with the average of 255 daily arrests under Biden last year. Despite this increase, the numbers still did not meet Trump’s campaign pledge of initiating “the largest deportation program of criminals in the history of America,” a reference to the 1954 “Operation Wetback” that resulted in approximately 1 million people being rounded up.

Why It Matters

If the current rate of arrests continues, the Trump administration could potentially make over 950,000 arrests over a four-year term. However, this does not necessarily imply that all arrested individuals will be deported. The U.S. is home to over 11 million undocumented immigrants. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, emphasized on January 29 that the administration views all undocumented migrants as criminals for illegally violating U.S. laws.

What To Know

Leaders from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE have accused the Biden administration of distorting ICE arrest data to deceive the public, alleging that the previous administration “cooked the books” by reporting high arrest numbers while actually releasing many detainees into the community under catch-and-release policies. In fiscal year 2024, ICE made 33,242 at-large arrests, nearly matching the total from the entire previous year in just the first 50 days of Trump’s second term.

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ICE acting Director Todd Lyons stated, “We have returned ICE to its core mission, which is arresting people who violate our immigration law. Secretary Noman and I are changing the culture of ICE to one of action and accountability.” Of those arrested, 14,111 have prior criminal convictions, 9,980 face pending criminal charges, and 8,718 were detained for immigration violations. The agency also apprehended 1,555 suspected gang members, 44 foreign fugitives, and 39 known or suspected terrorists since January 20.

While officials have not yet provided a specific number of deportations, they noted that detention centers are currently at full capacity with 47,600 undocumented immigrants and are collaborating with the Department of Defense to expand and secure additional detention space.

What People Are Saying

Lyons further emphasized the significant increase in arrests, stating, “I want to be clear that the ICE arrests in the first 50 days of President Trump’s administration are outpacing those that were under the Biden administration. As of yesterday, ICE arrests have surpassed all of last year’s at large criminal arrests. Doubling ICE arrests is just a start. We expect these ICE arrests and removal numbers will only go up as we unleash an agency that has had its hands tied behind its back the past four years. These ICE enforcement operations are not only removing criminals from the American communities, but they are also discouraging people from coming to our country illegally.”

What Happens Next

As the administration continues its aggressive approach to immigration enforcement, DHS and ICE are calling on Congress to provide additional funding to support the increasing need for detention capacity and enforcement operations.