ICE detention hits 65,135; nearly half have no criminal record, official data show
Government and FOIA-derived operational data show ICE custody at roughly 65,135 people as of Nov. 16 (with DHS reporting November averages near 66,000), and nearly half—about 48% (30,986)—had no U.S. criminal charges or convictions while 26% had convictions and 26% had pending charges. The records and local booking data document a sharp surge in ICE-initiated arrests of non‑criminals (CBS notes a 2,143% rise among ICE arrestees from Jan. 26 to Nov. 16 and FOIA data show daily arrests climbing), driven in part by broader arrest targets and multiagency operations, even as DHS disputes some FOIA-derived arrest-rate estimates.
đź“Ś Key Facts
- As of Nov. 16, ICE held 65,135 people; 48% (30,986) had no U.S. criminal charges or convictions, 26% (17,171) had criminal convictions and 26% (16,978) had pending criminal charges.
- Non‑criminal detainees initially arrested by ICE surged 2,143% from Jan. 26 (945) to Nov. 16 (21,194); from Sept. 21 to Nov. 16 non‑criminal detainees rose by about one‑third and, for the first time, ICE arrestees without convictions outnumbered those with convictions.
- Most people in ICE custody were initially arrested by ICE (52,510); 12,625 detainees entered custody via Customs and Border Protection (CBP) transfers.
- City-level operations showed large shares of non‑criminal arrests: Chicago non‑criminal book‑ins rose from ~3/day in early September to >45/day by mid‑October (~1,400%); Washington, D.C. averaged 37 non‑criminal detentions/day in late August with <10/day charged/convicted in Aug–Sept; Los Angeles had 63% of initial detainees without criminal records in June–July; Memphis had >50% non‑criminal detentions in early October; Portland showed an approximately even split among convictions, pending charges and civil‑only violations.
- FOIA‑obtained ICE data show average daily arrests of 821 from Jan. 20 to Oct. 15, rising to roughly 1,100 per day in recent weeks; DHS disputes that pace, asserting nearly 579,000 arrests since Jan. 20 (about 1,800 per day) and pausing public enforcement data releases.
- The administration broadened arrest targets to include more non‑criminal and 'collateral' arrests, and multiple federal and local agencies (Border Patrol, Secret Service, DEA, IRS and local partners) have assisted ICE operations.
- Courts have pushed back on warrantless interior arrests: a Chicago judge ordered about 600 people released and a D.C. judge has halted warrantless ICE arrests after the surge.
- Overall metrics show the share of detainees with charges or convictions (about 66% from Jan. 20 to Oct. 15) is broadly consistent with DHS’s past ~70% claim but has been shrinking in recent months; roughly 7% of detainees were convicted of violent crimes.
- The federal government held an average of more than 66,000 people in November — described as the highest on record — and reporting notes current family separations are increasingly happening through interior arrests and prolonged detentions/deportations (not just at the border); Trump adviser Tom Homan said in April, 'we’re going to keep doing it, full speed ahead.'
đź“Š Relevant Data
As of 2023, approximately 6.3 million children under age 18 in the United States lived with at least one unauthorized immigrant parent.
Changing Origins, Rising Numbers: Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
In 2023, 68% of the unauthorized immigrant population in the United States originated from Mexico and Central America, which are predominantly Hispanic regions.
Profile of the Unauthorized Population: United States — Migration Policy Institute
In the first six months of 2025, Latinos accounted for 90% of all ICE arrests, while Latinos represent 19.5% of the U.S. population.
LATINO ICE ARRESTS SURGE UNDER TRUMP — UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute
The Venezuelan immigrant population in the US grew 318% between 2010 and 2023, driven by a deep economic and political crisis under President Nicolás Maduro.
Venezuelan Immigrants in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
đź“° Sources (5)
- Federal government held an average of more than 66,000 people in November, described as the highest on record.
- Article details that current family separations are occurring through interior arrests and prolonged detentions or deportations, not border separations.
- Quote from Trump border adviser Tom Homan (April): 'we’re going to keep doing it, full speed ahead.'
- FOIA-obtained ICE data show average daily arrests of 821 from Jan. 20 to Oct. 15, rising to roughly 1,100 per day in recent weeks.
- DHS disputes the FOIA-derived pace, claiming nearly 579,000 arrests since Jan. 20 (about 1,800 per day) and acknowledging it has stopped publicly sharing enforcement data.
- Administration has broadened arrest targets to include more non-criminal and 'collateral' arrests; majority of those arrested do not have other criminal violations.
- A Chicago judge ordered about 600 people released due to warrantless arrests; in Washington, D.C., a judge has halted warrantless ICE arrests after a surge.
- Multiple agencies (e.g., Border Patrol, Secret Service, DEA, IRS) and local partners are assisting ICE operations, per DHS.
- ICE operational data show that during recent crackdowns, most detainees in several cities lacked criminal records: Chicago non-criminal book-ins rose from ~3/day in early September to >45/day by mid-October (~1,400% increase), while fewer than 25/day had charges or convictions.
- In Washington, D.C., average daily detentions of non-criminals peaked at 37/day in late August, with <10/day having charges or convictions during August–September.
- Los Angeles saw 63% of initial detainees without criminal records in June–July; overall L.A. arrests have declined since summer.
- Memphis hold-center data for early October show more than half of detentions were non-criminal; Portland showed an approximately even split among convictions, pending charges, and civil-only violations.
- Nationwide share with charges/convictions was 66% from Jan. 20 to Oct. 15 but has shrunk each month since April; about 7% of detainees were convicted of violent crimes.
- Border Patrol agents participated in the urban operations alongside ICE; detainees are held in ICE facilities and reflected in the data.
- DHS’s public claim that ~70% of arrests involve people with charges/convictions is broadly consistent overall but trending downward in recent months per the new dataset.
- As of Nov. 16, ICE held 65,135 people, with 48% (30,986) lacking any U.S. criminal charges or convictions.
- Breakdown: 26% (17,171) had criminal convictions; 26% (16,978) had pending criminal charges (severity unspecified).
- Non‑criminal detainees initially arrested by ICE rose 2,143% from Jan. 26 (945) to Nov. 16 (21,194), outpacing growth among charged/convicted groups.
- Custody origin: 52,510 detainees were initially arrested by ICE while 12,625 came via CBP transfers.
- From Sept. 21 to Nov. 16, non‑criminal detainees increased by about one‑third while the convicted cohort stayed nearly flat; for the first time, non‑criminal ICE arrestees outnumber those with convictions.