ICE Arrests of Illegal Immigrants Surge Under Trump Administration, With Some Metrics Doubling or Tripling
Charlie Kirk Staff
02/17/2025

Arrests of illegal immigrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have significantly increased under the Trump administration compared to the same period last year under the Biden administration, with some arrest categories seeing notable surges.
Department of Homeland Security data obtained by Fox News Digital reveals that from January 20 to February 8, ICE made 11,791 interior arrests, compared to 4,969 during the same period in 2024. This represents a 137% increase.
Arrests of individuals with criminal histories have nearly doubled, from 4,526 in 2024 to 8,993 this year. Similarly, arrests of fugitive aliens at large have risen by 156%, from 2,164 to 5,538. Arrests of criminal aliens in local jails have increased by 59%.
Additionally, arrests of suspected gang members, including those affiliated with the Tren de Aragua gang, have risen by 105%, from 210 in 2024 to 430 this year.
These figures highlight the Trump administration’s aggressive approach to immigration enforcement, with a focus on increasing arrests and deportations, particularly targeting individuals with criminal backgrounds and gang affiliations. This strategy has seen a shift from the previous administration’s policies, with ICE agents now operating with fewer restrictions and conducting operations in cities that do not fully cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, Fox News reported.
The administration has also taken steps to address detention capacity. Federal prisons are being used to house illegal immigrants, and Guantánamo Bay is being utilized for up to 30,000 detainees. The Department of Justice has also filed legal action against New York and Chicago over their sanctuary city policies.
“We have thousands of beds in detention facilities that are open today,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on “Fox News Sunday.” “We’ll continue to do operations in the different communities to get these dangerous criminals off of our streets and to get them home.”