ICE Detention Drops 12% as Trump Team Backs Off Non‑Criminal Sweeps After Minnesota Killings
New ICE data show the agency’s average daily detention population fell about 12% between January and March 2026 — from roughly 72,000 to 63,000 people — driven largely by a 21% drop in detentions of immigrants without criminal records, even as overall levels remain higher than during either the Biden administration or Trump’s first term. The decline follows the publicly documented fiasco of Operation Metro Surge in the Minneapolis area, where ICE and Border Patrol agents shot and killed U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti and sparked a bipartisan backlash, a lawsuit-filled fight with Minnesota officials, and a leadership purge at DHS and Border Patrol. President Trump has since told NBC News the government could "use a little bit of a softer touch" and removed controversial Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, while replacing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem with Markwayne Mullin and tasking White House border czar Tom Homan with winding down the Minnesota-style urban sweeps. At his March confirmation hearing, Mullin said he wants ICE to act more as a "transport" that picks up criminals from local jails, pledged to use judicial warrants before entering homes or businesses except in hot pursuits, and ICE acting director Todd Lyons told the Boston Globe that future operations would be "not like Minneapolis." The numbers suggest a real but still limited recalibration rather than a retreat: non‑criminal detainees remain the largest group in ICE custody, and total detentions are still at historic highs under an enforcement regime that makes virtually any undocumented person subject to arrest.
📊 Relevant Data
In fiscal year 2025, the top nationalities among individuals deported by ICE were from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, accounting for the majority of deportations.
Number of deportations by ICE by nationality in the US 2025 — Statista
Noncriminal Latino immigrants from 19 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, with a high concentration from a handful of nations, have become a central target of ICE detentions, showing a sharp rise from February 2024 through September 2025.
New Analysis Reveals Sharp Rise in ICE Detention of Immigrants with No Criminal Convictions — UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
Chief reasons for migration to the U.S. in 2025 include work, economic opportunity, and family reunification, amid notable trends in global displacement.
Top 10 Migration Issues of 2025 — Migration Policy Institute
From 2020 to 2024, immigration accounted for 94% of Minnesota's net population growth, with over 81,000 new Americans moving to the state, making it the primary driver of demographic change.
New Americans Drive Minnesota's Population Growth and Labor Force — Minnesota Women's Press
Minneapolis's racial composition in 2024 was approximately 58.8% White, 18.5% Black, and 10.1% Hispanic, reflecting ongoing diversification from immigration trends since 2020.
Minneapolis Demographic Statistics — Minnesota Demographics
📌 Key Facts
- ICE reports its average daily detention population dropped from about 72,000 in January 2026 to about 63,000 in March, a 12% reduction, with early April data showing the decline continuing.
- From January to March, the average number of detainees without criminal records fell 21%, while detainees with pending charges and prior convictions dropped 5% and 4% respectively; non‑criminals still make up the largest share of those in ICE custody.
- The shift comes after Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, where ICE and Border Patrol agents killed U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti, prompting Trump to remove senior Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, replace DHS Secretary Kristi Noem with Markwayne Mullin, and publicly endorse a 'softer touch' and greater use of judicial warrants in enforcement operations.
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