ICE is now holding a record-breaking 59,000 immigrant detainees, with internal data showing nearly 47% have no criminal record. That’s well above the 41,500 beds funded by Congress, putting ICE at over 140% capacity. The surge is driven by the Trump administration’s renewed interior enforcement, workplace raids, and broader detention criteria.
Over 70% of those detained were arrested inside the U.S., not at the border. Critics warn this massive expansion threatens due process and detention standards. ICE says it’s addressing a “backlog of illegal criminal aliens,” but many fear basic rights are being sidelined in the push to ramp up immigration arrests and expand detention capacity.