Trump Immigration Detentions Slow Amid Rising ICE Frustration
Alicia A. Caldwell et al., Bloomberg, March 3, 2025
President Donald Trump’s immigration detentions ticked down after a fast start in his first few days in office.
Detentions totaled 8,200 during the two weeks ending Feb. 22, according to federal data published last week. That compared with about 10,000 in the previous two-week period, which roughly corresponded with the beginning of the Trump administration.
The pace of detentions has frustrated senior officials, prompting shakeups within Immigration and Customs Enforcement {snip}
Still, detentions during the new administration’s first month more than doubled compared with the average during the final year of the Biden administration. The data analyzed by Bloomberg covers people held in detention facilities, which doesn’t account for all arrests.
As of Feb. 22, ICE held 43,759 people in detention facilities. That’s 5.4% higher than the funded capacity of 41,500 beds, reflecting the stepped-up detentions so far under the Trump administration.
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Under Trump, ICE has blamed leaks about planned raids for stymieing efforts to ramp up detentions. {snip}
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People jailed by ICE are spending less time in detention before being deported or released while their case is decided. Since Trump took office, the average number of days they’ve spent in detention has dropped to 41 from 51 as the administration looks to speed up deportations.
