The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has made significant strides in immigration enforcement since President Donald Trump took office on January 20, 2025.
In a press release from the DHS Office of Public Affairs, the agency reported that ICE executed 32,809 enforcement arrests in the first 50 days of the Trump administration. This figure nearly matches the 33,242 at-large arrests made by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) throughout the entire fiscal year 2024, averaging approximately 656 arrests per day compared to about 91 per day in FY 2024.
The press release highlights that as of Tuesday, March 11, 2025, ICE’s at-large arrest tally under Trump has already surpassed the total number of at-large arrests recorded in FY 2024 under the previous administration. “At-large” arrests refer to operations conducted in communities, as opposed to arrests of individuals already in custody.
DHS provided a detailed breakdown of the arrests made between January 20 and March 10, 2025. Of the total, 14,111 individuals, approximately 43%, were convicted criminals, accounting for nearly half of all arrests. Another 9,980 individuals, about 30%, had pending criminal charges, bringing the proportion of arrests involving accused or convicted criminals to almost 75%.
Additionally, 1,155 individuals were identified as criminal gang members, a figure 2.5 times higher than the 483 arrested during the same period in 2024. Furthermore, 39 individuals were classified as known or suspected terrorists, nearly triple the 14 apprehended in the corresponding timeframe last year.
The data indicates that approximately 24,091, or 73.4%, of those arrested had either criminal convictions or pending charges, aligning with the administration’s stated focus on targeting “the worst first” in its immigration enforcement efforts.
The FY 2024 ICE Annual Report, released in December 2024, documented a total of 113,431 administrative arrests, of which 33,242 were at-large arrests. Of the total arrests, 81,312, or 71.7%, involved individuals with criminal convictions or pending charges.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized the broader goals of these operations, stating, “We have deported known terrorists, cartel members, and gang members from our country. We will see the number of deportations continue to rise. Illegal immigrants have the option to self-deport and return legally in the future. Our team at ICE will continue working to make America SAFE again.”
The surge in arrests has placed significant strain on ICE’s infrastructure. By March 12, detention numbers reportedly reached 47,600, nearing the agency’s funded capacity of 41,500 beds, which cost approximately $57,378 per bed annually.
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.
