ICE Detention Numbers Surge Under Trump, Data Shows
Aug 25, 2026
According to data released by the Deportation Data Project, ICE detained more than 45,000 people last month, the highest monthly total since Trump retook office, and over 610,000 people total since his inauguration. More than 270,000 people spent at least a week in detention last year, the highest since 2012. About 80% of detentions now originate from the interior of the country rather than the border, a reversal from the Biden administration when 30% came from the interior. Immigration scholars and attorneys quoted in the article say the shift toward interior arrests and prolonged detention is unprecedented and disrupts lives, jobs, and families even when individuals had previously been released by judges with agreements to attend court hearings.
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