ICE Detention Population Hits Record 73,000 as Trump Targets 100,000 Daily Capacity

📌 Key Facts

ICE is currently holding about 73,000 people in detention — a record-high count.
The 73,000 figure refers specifically to people 'facing deportation,' i.e., individuals in active removal proceedings or under final removal orders.
The number was confirmed in a national CBS News television segment.
The Department of Homeland Security provided the underlying data to CBS News.
DHS's public-facing acknowledgment of the data increases transparency and makes the internal numbers harder for the administration to later dispute.

Many X users express concern over human rights violations, pointing out that the record-high detention numbers have led to increased deaths in custody and overcrowded facilities, urging for more humane immigration policies.
Supporters of Trump's policies on X celebrate the crackdown as a necessary step to secure borders and reduce illegal immigration, viewing the expansion to 100,000 capacity as fulfilling campaign promises.
Local residents in Republican-leaning areas, including Trump voters, voice NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) sentiments on X, opposing new detention centers in their towns due to infrastructure strain and safety fears despite supporting the overall policy.
Economic perspectives on X highlight the massive taxpayer costs of detaining 73,000 people and aiming for 100,000, with users debating whether these funds could be better allocated to other border security measures like wall construction.
Immigration advocates on X emphasize the transparency of releasing these figures, seeing it as a double-edged sword that exposes the scale of detentions while potentially enabling public oversight and legal challenges to the administration's actions.

Based on 2 sources

Follow how coverage of this story developed over time

January 21, 2026

4:45 AM

Nytimes by Pooja Salhotra

January 16, 2026

6:04 PM

https://www.facebook.com/CBSNews/

New information:

Confirms, in a national TV segment, that ICE is currently holding about 73,000 people facing deportation, reinforcing the figure as the operative record-high count.
Frames the 73,000 figure explicitly as people 'facing deportation,' clarifying that the population consists of individuals in active removal proceedings or under final orders.
Adds public-facing acknowledgment from DHS via data provided to CBS News, which bolsters transparency and makes the internal numbers harder for the administration to walk back.

4:22 PM

https://www.facebook.com/CBSNews/