Arrests by ICE have increased significantly following Stephen Miller's decree, but remain below his target goal.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has seen a substantial increase in arrests during President Donald Trump's second term, although the numbers remain below the administration's ambitious objectives. Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), told Axios that nearly 579,000 individuals without legal immigration status have been detained since Trump returned to office.

The rise in apprehensions is largely attributed to the hardline immigration policies promoted by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. According to data obtained by Axios, ICE has recently been detaining around 1,100 individuals daily. While this represents an increase from the 821 per day recorded in the first ten months of the year, it is still far below the administrations target of 3,000 arrests per day.

Initially, the Trump administration stated that enforcement actions would focus on immigrants with criminal histories. However, this guideline has shifted. A significant portion of those apprehended have no criminal convictions. Agents are now encouraged to conduct collateral arrests, which include detaining undocumented individuals who are merely associated with someone on a target list. This marks a clear departure from policies under the Biden administration, where non-criminal individuals were not prioritized for detention.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, criticized the approach, saying it targets politically motivated quotas rather than genuine public safety risks. He added that DHS operations are affecting families and workers with clean records, detaining individuals who are compliant with court appearances and check-ins.

In one recent case, a 19-year-old college student was arrested and deported while attempting to return home for Thanksgiving, despite a court order allowing her to remain in the U.S. Nationwide immigration raids have prompted multiple lawsuits, yet the administration has been slow to comply with court directives. For instance, a judge in Chicago ordered the release of 600 detainees arrested without warrants, and a federal judge in Washington, D.C. blocked similar warrantless detentions following legal challenges.

McLaughlin told Axios that these actions are just the beginning, highlighting the administrations intent to reinvigorate ICE after years of restrictions. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson echoed this stance, stating that Trump is fulfilling promises to carry out the largest deportation operation targeting criminal undocumented immigrants in U.S. history. Despite ongoing legal challenges, she emphasized that arrests and deportations will persist.

Reports indicate that ICE has mistakenly detained American citizens during enforcement operations. A ProPublica investigation found that at least 170 U.S. citizens, and possibly many more, were held, some for over a day without access to lawyers or family. Several detainees reported experiencing physical abuse, including beatings, tasings, and other mistreatment, with some being held in minimal clothing and at least three pregnant women among those detained.

Author: Grace Ellison