Since January 2025, there’s been a steady rise in immigration detainment for individuals without any prior convictions. This trend reflects a general uptake in detainment and immigration enforcement procedures. However, detainment of individuals without a criminal record wasn’t a huge priority for immigration authorities until last year.
Data
According to NBC, the University of California Berkley released a report called the Deportation Data Project on April 7, 2026. The report states:
- Detainment by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents quadrupled over the past year.
- Transfers from jails and prisons to detention facilities more than doubled in the past year.
- Detainment of individuals without a criminal record increased by seven hundred and seventy percent.
- Immigration detainment operations carried out on the street increased by one thousand percent in the past thirteen months.
The Deportation Data Project uses information obtained via lawsuit filed under the Freedom of Information Act. It covers immigration detainment rates until March 10, 2026.
Analysis
The data reflects an increasingly strict immigration landscape. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) explained that seventy percent of ICE detainments in the past year were of individuals with prior convictions. Additionally, immigration enforcement operations in places like Minneapolis only accounted for fifteen percent of the increase.
As always, ILBSG actively monitors ongoing U.S. immigration news. If you have questions about any U.S. immigration related issue, contact us. Working with an experienced attorney ensures you get the right advice based on the most recent laws. In an ever-evolving immigration policy landscape, it’s particularly critical you get the right advice.