Trump Administration Directs ICE to Increase Daily Arrests to 1,200-1,500, Reaches 956 Arrests in One Day

Jan 26, 2025, 10:21 PM

The Trump administration has directed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to significantly increase daily arrests of undocumented immigrants, setting a target of 1,200 to 1,500 arrests per day. This directive comes as a response to President Trump's dissatisfaction with the pace of his mass deportation campaign. Previously, ICE was arresting a few hundred individuals daily. The new quotas were established during a call with senior ICE officials, where it was communicated that each field office should aim for 75 arrests per day. The increase in arrests aims to exceed last year's daily average of approximately 310 arrests. ICE officials have been told that they will be held accountable for meeting these new targets. On January 27, 2025, ICE reported making 956 arrests and lodging 554 detainers, marking the highest number of arrests during Trump's second term. The directive is part of a broader effort to ramp up enforcement, with the potential for further increases in quotas pending additional funding from Congress.