Surprising Update: Immigration Arrests Plummet Despite Trump’s Tough Measures

Despite promises from the Trump administration of a vigorous crackdown on immigration enforcement, recent data from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reveals minimal evidence to support claims of increased arrests and removals. Research conducted by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) indicates that the majority of ICE’s arrests involve immigrants with no prior criminal records.

On January 12, 2023, ICE reported 39,703 individuals in immigration detention. By February 9, that number had increased to 41,169, marking a 3.7 percent rise. This small uptick underscores the challenges involved in targeting immigrants, particularly those protected by local officials and enhanced know-your-rights campaigns.

ICE’s average daily arrests during this period stood at 724, reflecting a 5 percent decrease from the 759 daily arrests recorded under President Biden. TRAC researchers noted that the availability of detention beds may have constrained enforcement efforts. Additionally, they observed that arrest levels stalled in February, prompting the Trump administration to cease daily publication of arrest statistics.

From January 26 to February 8, ICE deported only 9,705 individuals, averaging 693 per day—down from approximately 742 under Biden. “Despite mobilizing personnel from various federal agencies for immigration enforcement, the Trump administration’s figures fell short of those maintained during Biden’s presidency,” the researchers concluded.

In Arizona, immigration-related charges surged with announcements detailing 565 prosecutions across seven federal agencies since January 20. Noteworthy cases included a U.S. citizen accused of smuggling six individuals across a checkpoint and a man found in possession of illegal firearms. Controversially, law enforcement employed heavy tactics against Alfonso Garcia Vega, a 61-year-old man arrested for returning to the U.S. despite prior deportation.

While Trump’s administration has emphasized targeting criminal immigrants, TRAC findings indicate that many arrested individuals were, in fact, without criminal convictions. Austin Kocher, a research professor at Syracuse University, criticized the administration’s narrative, asserting that the data contradicts claims of focusing on serious offenders. Instead, the largest growth in detained individuals was among those lacking any criminal charges.

Recent statements from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem heralded a doubling of arrests under Trump’s leadership. However, researchers raised concerns over the validity of such claims, suggesting they are grounded in questionable data. During the last year of Biden’s tenure, ICE-Retention Operations deported 271,484 people, including a significant number with prior criminal convictions.

Experts like Kocher argue that while arrests have indeed increased, they predominantly involve individuals without criminal backgrounds. He emphasized the importance of transparency, urging the administration to present a truthful picture of their enforcement practices rather than crafting misleading narratives.