The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency reported a detainee population of 43,759 as of February 27, 2025, according to a detailed analysis of case data conducted by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University. This figure represents the highest number of individuals held in ICE custody since November 2019.
The reported detainee count of 43,759 remains below the peak recorded during the final years of the first Trump administration. In August 2019, ICE detention numbers soared to an all-time high of 55,654, driven by aggressive enforcement policies.
For the first time in four years, ICE has taken the lead in arrests leading to detention, accounting for 52 percent of the total detainee population. This contrasts with the 48 percent of detainees who were initially apprehended by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the agency primarily responsible for securing U.S. borders.
U.S. Border Patrol apprehended approximately 8,500 migrants at the border in February, marking the lowest monthly total on record, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has recenly announced a sharp escalation in immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump, reporting a 627% surge in at-large arrests of undocumented individuals compared to the previous year under President Joe Biden. DHS officials highlighted that over 20,000 undocumented individuals were apprehended in a single month during Trump’s current term.
Data from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shows that in Fiscal Year 2024 (October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024), under Biden’s administration, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) recorded a total of 113,431 immigration arrests. Of these, 33,242—or 29.3%—were at-large arrests, conducted in communities rather than at border facilities. This marked a 63.7% decline from FY 2023, which saw 91,497 at-large arrests.
Notably, 81,312 of the arrests in FY 2024 (71.7%) involved noncitizens with criminal convictions or pending charges—a higher proportion than in FY 2023, when 73,822 of 170,590 arrests (43%) involved individuals with criminal histories. These 81,312 individuals accounted for 516,050 charges and convictions—averaging 6.3 per person—including serious crimes such as 57,081 assaults, 18,579 sexual offenses, 12,895 weapons violations, and 2,894 homicides.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem praised the Trump administration’s enforcement approach, stating, “President Trump and this team are protecting lives daily by securing the border and removing illegal alien criminals. Hundreds of thousands of criminals entered this country unlawfully, and we’re ensuring they are sent back and barred from returning.”
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Early reports from late January and early February 2025 indicate that ICE arrests under Trump have ranged from 325 to 787 per day. The sharp increase in immigration arrests reflects the Trump administration’s renewed focus on stricter border security and interior enforcement.
Kishor Panthi
View More PostsKishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
