New report: ICE detentions surge under Trump

SEATTLE, Wash. - A new report from the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge reveals a dramatic shift in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detentions under President Donald Trump.

According to the study, there has been a significant increase in Latinos with no criminal history being detained. The report not only details who is being detained, but also how quickly they are being deported.

The nationwide analysis compares detention trends under the Biden administration with those under Trump.

Federal agents look on as demonstators gather near the site of where state and local authorities say a man was shot by federal agents earlier in the morning in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 24, 2026. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said Saturday tha

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In January 2026, Trump addressed immigration enforcement efforts, saying: "When you see what's going on in Minnesota, we're taking out the worst, some of the worst criminals in the world are being taken out of our country."

But UCLA’s data paints a different picture.

By the numbers:

The report found that ICE is detaining more Latinos without criminal histories. The number jumped from about 900 per month under President Joe Biden to more than 6,000 per month under Trump.

Hector Quiroga, an attorney at Quiroga Law Office, said the numbers reflect what he is seeing in his own practice.

"We see a huge increment on the non-criminal, non-criminal history Latinos that are being detained. This kind of shows that's kind of the effort really happening, regardless of what we hear otherwise, it's just kind of anyone and everyone," Quiroga said.

The data also shows a 900% increase in Latino men detained, with numbers rising from 3,500 in 2024 to more than 38,000 in 2025.

Arrests of women nearly tripled, increasing from about 2,500 to 7,300.

"This shows that even women are being targeted. Anyone that has either questionable claim to asylum or may have a snag on the immigration system is being detained," Quiroga said.

CEDAR PINES, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 28: ICE agents look for someone at a home on January 28, 2026 in Circle Pines, Minnesota. Protests continue around the Twin Cities area after the Trump administration sent thousands of immigration agents to the region (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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Dig deeper:

Looking more closely at who is being detained, UCLA’s data shows non-criminal Latinos came from 19 countries. However, the number of Mexican and Guatemalan detainees increased eightfold.

Mexican detainees increased from just over 1,500 to nearly 13,300.

When asked whether the increase reflects a policy change, Quiroga said: "It seems to me that it's all become about numbers, right? It's about how many detainees, how many deportations."

The report also found that 55% of detainees are being transferred out of state, compared to 18% the previous year — something Quiroga says makes it harder for attorneys to represent their clients.

"Where are they taking them? Where do I file the paperwork? Here or over there? So there's a lot of techniques being used that are not necessarily what we like to see," Quiroga said. "And what we see is that more than 80% of the people being detained end up being deported in a very, very quick way."

The UCLA report echoes that concern. It found that 88% of detained Latinos were ultimately deported under Trump, while only 9% were released back into their communities.

What they're saying:

Quiroga said the speed of deportations raises red flags.

"It's moving very fast to the point that we have questions about the process. Should this be happening this fast? You know, errors are being made," Quiroga said.

Trump campaigned on removing what he described as the "worst of the worst." In November 2025, and when asked whether immigration raids had gone too far, he responded: "No. I think they haven't gone far enough because we've been held back by the judges."

Quiroga argues the numbers tell a different story.

"Look, there's no question that individuals who have broken the law, who should be removed, who have done awful things, and they need to be there, but that's a very minority, right? And so what happens is that it's easy to cast these individuals as a wide net on everybody else," Quiroga said.