Since January 2023, the number of people held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention has more than doubled.
This increase has accelerated notably during the early months of Donald Trump’s second term, compared to the final stretch of Joe Biden’s presidency.
As Visual Capitalist’s Bruno Venditti shows in the chart below, the data behind this trend offers a revealing look at how immigration enforcement priorities and political leadership can rapidly reshape the size and scope of ICE’s detainee population.
The figures for this analysis come from TRAC Reports, a long-running research project tracking U.S. immigration enforcement metrics. The data reflects weekly totals of ICE detainees, categorized by criminal background or immigration status.
ICE Detentions Have Surged in 2025
On January 1, 2023, there were just over 20,500 people in ICE custody. By June 15, 2025, that number had jumped to over 56,000—a 175% increase. This steep rise coincides with Trump’s return to office and his campaign promises to crack down on illegal immigration.
| Date | Convicted Criminal | Pending Criminal Charges | Other Violations | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/15/2025 | 15,964 | 14,263 | 26,170 | 56,397 |
| 06/01/2025 | 15,193 | 13,671 | 22,438 | 51,302 |
| 05/18/2025 | 14,909 | 12,920 | 21,041 | 48,870 |
| 05/04/2025 | 15,025 | 12,730 | 21,250 | 49,005 |
| 04/20/2025 | 15,190 | 11,997 | 21,997 | 49,184 |
| 04/06/2025 | 14,614 | 11,065 | 22,249 | 47,928 |
| 03/23/2025 | 14,369 | 10,509 | 23,014 | 47,892 |
| 03/09/2025 | 13,751 | 9,437 | 23,081 | 46,269 |
| 02/23/2025 | 12,804 | 8,158 | 22,797 | 43,759 |
| 02/09/2025 | 11,917 | 6,714 | 22,538 | 41,169 |
| 01/26/2025 | 10,703 | 5,429 | 23,106 | 39,238 |
| 01/12/2025 | 10,494 | 5,360 | 23,849 | 39,703 |
| 12/29/2024 | 10,278 | 5,271 | 23,603 | 39,152 |
| 12/15/2024 | 10,355 | 5,204 | 22,847 | 38,406 |
| 12/01/2024 | 10,283 | 5,084 | 23,361 | 38,728 |
| 11/03/2024 | 10,308 | 4,967 | 23,588 | 38,863 |
| 09/08/2024 | 10,050 | 4,874 | 22,471 | 37,395 |
| 08/25/2024 | 10,078 | 4,818 | 21,327 | 36,223 |
| 08/11/2024 | 10,142 | 4,752 | 21,432 | 36,326 |
| 07/14/2024 | 10,380 | 4,605 | 22,019 | 37,004 |
| 06/30/2024 | 10,053 | 4,459 | 22,997 | 37,509 |
| 06/16/2024 | 10,158 | 4,452 | 23,915 | 38,525 |
| 06/02/2024 | 9,803 | 4,311 | 23,246 | 37,360 |
| 05/19/2024 | 9,748 | 4,303 | 22,520 | 36,571 |
| 05/05/2024 | 9,882 | 4,146 | 22,575 | 36,603 |
| 04/21/2024 | 9,560 | 3,961 | 20,852 | 34,373 |
| 04/07/2024 | 9,549 | 3,830 | 21,201 | 34,580 |
| 03/24/2024 | 9,465 | 3,721 | 23,745 | 36,931 |
| 03/10/2024 | 9,285 | 3,646 | 26,180 | 39,111 |
| 02/25/2024 | 9,288 | 3,548 | 26,339 | 39,175 |
| 02/11/2024 | 9,319 | 3,468 | 25,471 | 38,258 |
| 01/28/2024 | 9,114 | 3,412 | 25,972 | 38,498 |
| 01/13/2024 | 9,005 | 3,355 | 25,422 | 37,782 |
| 12/31/2023 | 9,003 | 3,332 | 24,796 | 37,131 |
| 12/17/2023 | 8,936 | 3,115 | 24,212 | 36,263 |
| 12/03/2023 | 8,838 | 3,074 | 24,843 | 36,755 |
| 11/19/2023 | 8,682 | 2,979 | 27,352 | 39,013 |
| 11/05/2023 | 8,426 | 3,008 | 28,314 | 39,748 |
| 10/03/2023 | 8,198 | 3,013 | 25,634 | 36,845 |
| 09/24/2023 | 8,074 | 2,966 | 24,249 | 35,289 |
| 09/10/2023 | 8,012 | 2,942 | 24,635 | 35,589 |
| 08/27/2023 | 8,105 | 2,994 | 21,644 | 32,743 |
| 08/13/2023 | 8,238 | 3,121 | 18,825 | 30,184 |
| 07/30/2023 | 8,422 | 3,325 | 18,691 | 30,438 |
| 07/16/2023 | 8,504 | 3,230 | 19,330 | 31,064 |
| 07/02/2023 | 8,032 | 3,022 | 18,949 | 30,003 |
| 06/18/2023 | 8,014 | 2,913 | 18,686 | 29,613 |
| 06/04/2023 | 7,839 | 2,751 | 19,324 | 29,914 |
| 05/21/2023 | 7,932 | 2,693 | 16,705 | 27,330 |
| 05/07/2023 | 7,840 | 2,509 | 10,944 | 21,293 |
| 04/23/2023 | 8,123 | 2,667 | 14,154 | 24,944 |
| 04/09/2023 | 8,289 | 2,580 | 14,884 | 25,753 |
| 03/26/2023 | 8,050 | 2,563 | 16,285 | 26,898 |
| 03/12/2023 | 7,952 | 2,579 | 17,192 | 27,723 |
| 02/26/2023 | 7,656 | 2,515 | 16,839 | 27,010 |
| 02/12/2023 | 7,281 | 2,434 | 16,695 | 26,410 |
| 01/29/2023 | 7,147 | 2,291 | 14,732 | 24,170 |
| 01/15/2023 | 7,010 | 2,172 | 11,710 | 20,892 |
| 01/01/2023 | 7,030 | 2,259 | 11,217 | 20,506 |
| 12/18/2022 | 7,041 | 2,301 | 13,718 | 23,060 |
| 12/04/2022 | 6,966 | 2,413 | 19,647 | 29,026 |
| 11/20/2022 | 6,886 | 2,385 | 20,730 | 30,001 |
| 10/31/2022 | 6,813 | 2,395 | 20,776 | 29,984 |
| 09/25/2022 | 6,430 | 2,040 | 16,664 | 25,134 |
| 09/10/2022 | 6,152 | 1,991 | 17,633 | 25,776 |
| 08/15/2022 | 5,903 | 1,778 | 16,446 | 24,127 |
| 07/31/2022 | 5,615 | 1,606 | 16,169 | 23,390 |
| 07/17/2022 | 5,550 | 1,538 | 15,798 | 22,886 |
| 07/05/2022 | 5,434 | 1,402 | 16,320 | 23,156 |
| 06/19/2022 | 5,505 | 1,343 | 16,542 | 23,390 |
| 06/05/2022 | 5,353 | 1,327 | 17,911 | 24,591 |
| 05/07/2022 | 5,021 | 1,226 | 16,034 | 22,281 |
| 04/24/2022 | 4,880 | 1,177 | 13,445 | 19,502 |
| 04/11/2022 | 4,629 | 1,082 | 13,135 | 18,846 |
| 03/27/2022 | 4,621 | 1,079 | 15,033 | 20,733 |
| 03/13/2022 | 4,692 | 1,049 | 14,405 | 20,146 |
| 02/27/2022 | 4,666 | 982 | 12,336 | 17,984 |
| 02/13/2022 | 4,727 | 999 | 14,222 | 19,948 |
| 01/16/2022 | 4,534 | 850 | 15,502 | 20,886 |
| 01/02/2022 | 4,471 | 860 | 16,737 | 22,068 |
| 12/19/2021 | 4,436 | 795 | 15,392 | 20,623 |
| 12/05/2021 | 4,559 | 931 | 16,462 | 21,952 |
| 11/21/2021 | 4,466 | 852 | 17,120 | 22,438 |
| 10/01/2021 | 4,537 | 852 | 16,740 | 22,129 |
| 09/16/2021 | 4,553 | 771 | 16,242 | 21,566 |
| 09/13/2021 | 4,443 | 808 | 17,763 | 23,014 |
| 08/24/2021 | 4,495 | 835 | 19,832 | 25,162 |
| 08/06/2021 | 4,502 | 971 | 20,053 | 25,526 |
| 07/22/2021 | 4,439 | 1,078 | 21,254 | 26,771 |
| 07/08/2021 | 4,433 | 1,117 | 21,667 | 27,217 |
| 06/24/2021 | 4,399 | 1,100 | 20,723 | 26,222 |
| 06/11/2021 | 4,338 | 1,037 | 19,088 | 24,463 |
| 05/28/2021 | 4,382 | 971 | 16,166 | 21,519 |
| 05/13/2021 | 4,490 | 686 | 13,865 | 19,041 |
| 05/03/2021 | 4,524 | 696 | 10,477 | 15,697 |
| 04/14/2021 | 4,765 | 826 | 9,545 | 15,136 |
| 03/31/2021 | 5,177 | 919 | 7,818 | 13,914 |
| 03/17/2021 | 5,857 | 1,252 | 6,943 | 14,052 |
| 02/25/2021 | 6,746 | 1,890 | 4,622 | 13,258 |
| 02/11/2021 | 7,362 | 2,306 | 4,427 | 14,095 |
| 01/22/2021 | 7,598 | 2,544 | 4,053 | 14,195 |
| 01/07/2021 | 8,189 | 2,864 | 4,391 | 15,444 |
| 12/30/2020 | 8,272 | 2,810 | 4,268 | 15,350 |
| 12/10/2020 | 8,448 | 2,948 | 4,376 | 15,772 |
| 11/26/2020 | 8,632 | 2,966 | 4,477 | 16,075 |
| 11/14/2020 | 8,931 | 2,974 | 4,729 | 16,634 |
| 09/18/2020 | 10,773 | 3,351 | 5,894 | 20,018 |
| 09/04/2020 | 11,149 | 3,236 | 6,104 | 20,489 |
| 08/21/2020 | 11,372 | 3,187 | 6,448 | 21,007 |
| 08/08/2020 | 11,321 | 3,113 | 6,684 | 21,118 |
| 08/01/2020 | 11,450 | 3,082 | 7,014 | 21,546 |
| 07/25/2020 | 11,510 | 3,114 | 7,260 | 21,884 |
| 07/18/2020 | 11,391 | 3,085 | 7,666 | 22,142 |
| 07/11/2020 | 11,492 | 3,071 | 7,777 | 22,340 |
| 07/04/2020 | 11,592 | 3,031 | 7,956 | 22,579 |
| 06/27/2020 | 11,632 | 3,096 | 8,077 | 22,805 |
| 06/20/2020 | 11,777 | 3,160 | 8,492 | 23,429 |
| 06/13/2020 | 11,986 | 3,244 | 8,811 | 24,041 |
| 06/06/2020 | 12,130 | 3,306 | 9,277 | 24,713 |
| 05/30/2020 | 12,279 | 3,373 | 9,769 | 25,421 |
| 05/23/2020 | 12,435 | 3,408 | 10,068 | 25,911 |
| 05/16/2020 | 12,599 | 3,454 | 10,607 | 26,660 |
| 05/09/2020 | 13,068 | 3,639 | 11,201 | 27,908 |
| 05/02/2020 | 13,183 | 3,779 | 11,903 | 28,865 |
| 04/25/2020 | 13,218 | 3,897 | 12,560 | 29,675 |
| 04/18/2020 | 13,380 | 4,070 | 13,287 | 30,737 |
| 04/11/2020 | 13,774 | 4,406 | 14,129 | 32,309 |
| 03/21/2020 | 14,782 | 5,264 | 18,012 | 38,058 |
| 02/29/2020 | 14,469 | 5,229 | 18,839 | 38,537 |
| 02/08/2020 | 14,464 | 5,184 | 19,774 | 39,422 |
| 01/04/2020 | 14,371 | 5,173 | 22,087 | 41,631 |
| 12/21/2019 | 14,295 | 4,993 | 22,645 | 41,933 |
| 11/30/2019 | 14,639 | 5,135 | 25,086 | 44,860 |
| 10/26/2019 | 15,594 | 5,203 | 28,622 | 49,419 |
| 09/30/2019 | 16,120 | 5,359 | 29,443 | 50,922 |
| 09/21/2019 | 15,695 | 5,341 | 30,266 | 51,302 |
| 08/31/2019 | 16,197 | 5,315 | 31,418 | 52,930 |
| 08/03/2019 | 16,676 | 5,493 | 33,485 | 55,654 |
| 06/01/2019 | 17,225 | 5,573 | 29,667 | 52,465 |
| 05/04/2019 | 17,537 | 5,686 | 26,422 | 49,645 |
The growth has been steady and sharp: detention numbers rose by over 5,000 in just the last two weeks of the data series alone.
Non-Criminal Immigration Violators Drive Growth
The largest category of detainees by far is “Other Immigration Violator”, meaning individuals with no pending or prior criminal charges. This group jumped from 11,217 in early 2023 to over 26,000 by mid-2025, more than doubling in that timeframe.
While criminal detainee categories also rose, the sheer volume of non-criminal detentions is the clearest signal of changing enforcement tactics under the Trump administration.
Comparing the Two Administrations
Biden-era figures remained relatively stable, with total detentions hovering between 20,000 and 40,000. Under Trump, however, ICE has rapidly expanded its detainee population, particularly since January 2025.
This policy shift echoes Trump’s first term, when detention levels frequently surpassed 50,000, peaking in mid-2019. The current trajectory suggests a return to those levels or possibly beyond.
If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The Top 25 Nationalities of US Immigrants on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.
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