Immigration Raids Statistics in US 2026 | Recent ICE Raids

Immigration Raids in US 2026

The landscape of immigration enforcement has undergone dramatic transformation since January 2025, marking one of the most aggressive periods of immigration raids in modern American history. Under the current administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has doubled its arrest operations, deploying unprecedented resources including federal agents, Border Patrol personnel, and even National Guard troops to carry out targeted enforcement actions across American communities. This intensified approach represents a fundamental shift from border-focused enforcement to aggressive interior operations that have touched virtually every state in the nation.

As of January 2026, the scope and scale of immigration raids in the US have reached historic proportions, with detention facilities holding record numbers of individuals and daily arrest operations continuing at elevated rates across the country. The administration’s stated goal of conducting mass deportations has mobilized over 12,000 newly hired ICE officers and agents, representing a 120% increase in manpower dedicated to immigration enforcement. These operations have sparked intense debate about civil liberties, due process, and the humanitarian implications of such widespread enforcement activities, while simultaneously raising questions about the actual effectiveness and targeting priorities of these expanded operations.

Key Facts and Latest Statistics on Immigration Raids in the US 2026

Data sources: TRAC Immigration, Department of Homeland Security, Deportation Data Project, Human Rights First ICE Flight Monitor

The statistics paint a stark picture of the current state of immigration enforcement in 2026. With 68,990 individuals held in 212 detention facilities as of early January 2026, the United States is operating the world’s largest immigration detention system at unprecedented capacity levels. What stands out most dramatically is that 73.6% of detainees—nearly three-quarters of the detained population—have no criminal convictions whatsoever, contradicting administration claims that enforcement focuses primarily on dangerous criminals. The 36,635 ICE arrests conducted in October 2025 alone represent one of the highest monthly totals in recent history, with daily averages reaching 1,220 arrests by December before declining during the holiday period. The 120% manpower increase, bringing 12,000 new officers and agents into immigration enforcement roles, demonstrates the massive resource allocation toward these operations. Additionally, the 8,877 immigration enforcement flights recorded between January and September 2025 mark a 62% increase over the same period in 2024, highlighting the acceleration of both arrests and removals under current policies.

Recent Major ICE Raid Operations Across the US in January 2026

Data sources: ABC7 Los Angeles, Bring Me The News, MinnPost, Department of Homeland Security, local news reporting

ICE raid activity in January 2026 has spread beyond Minnesota’s Operation Metro Surge to multiple metropolitan areas across the country, demonstrating the nationwide scope of intensified enforcement. In Los Angeles, ICE agents conducted operations across multiple neighborhoods over the January 10-13 weekend, with particular activity in Downey, Eagle Rock, Silver Lake, and Highland Park. DHS confirmed 11 arrests in Downey alone on January 10, targeting individuals from Mexico and El Salvador. Video footage captured agents attempting to detain two landscapers in Downey, but community members emerging from their homes led agents to release them and leave. In Highland Park, residents witnessed immigration agents arresting a food vendor on Monday morning, January 13, leaving behind an empty taco stand that neighbors helped pack up for his family. Social media posts alerted Los Angeles residents to ICE activity near Eagle Rock Plaza and other locations, creating widespread fear and disruption. In Silver Lake, video from Friday, January 10 shows a person on the ground being placed in handcuffs by immigration agents.

Operation Metro Surge has expanded far beyond the Twin Cities metro area despite its name, with significant enforcement actions throughout Greater Minnesota. In St. Cloud, after community members presented a united front that forced ICE agents to leave a Somali shopping center on Saturday evening, January 11, agents returned on Monday morning, January 12 with a large presence, arresting at least two individuals who were protesting. Witnesses reported seeing “50 masked, vested-up people terrorizing our community.” In Rochester, observers documented agents attempting to break through a vehicle window with a hammer near the city’s Ear of Corn Water Tower in the immediate days following Good’s death, though they left without making an arrest after constitutional observers arrived and no warrant was presented. Northeast Minneapolis experienced ICE caravans patrolling Lowry and Central avenues on January 12, though with fewer agents than seen over the previous weekend. Willmar in central Minnesota reported several ICE arrests during the same period. The nationwide death toll from ICE agents and their raids since Trump took office in January 2025 has reached 32 people, according to United We Dream, including individuals killed while fleeing raids such as California farmworker Jaime Alanís Garcia, who fell from a greenhouse roof, and Roberto Carlos Montoya Valdez, struck by a car while running across a freeway as agents raided a Home Depot.

Operation Metro Surge Minnesota ICE Raids in the US 2026

Data sources: Department of Homeland Security official releases, CBS News, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Democracy Now, NBC News

Operation Metro Surge represents the most massive single-city immigration enforcement operation in modern US history, deploying approximately 2,000 federal agents to the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area beginning December 1, 2025. The operation officially targets individuals with deportation orders while simultaneously investigating alleged fraud in federally funded childcare and nutrition programs. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin announced on January 13, 2026 that the operation has resulted in over 2,000 arrests since its launch, with the pace accelerating dramatically in early January 2026. The operation has evolved through distinct phases: the initial launch in early December resulted in 400+ arrests by mid-December, reaching 700 arrests by December 19, and then surging to 1,500 arrests by January 8 following a massive reinforcement of federal personnel. On Monday, January 12 alone, ICE arrested 150 individuals in Minneapolis, demonstrating the operation’s sustained intensity. The deployment includes hundreds of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers, Homeland Security Investigations agents, and tactical Special Response Teams—a concentration described by former law enforcement officials as “extraordinary,” with the number of HSI agents sent to Minneapolis roughly equivalent to the entire HSI workforce normally assigned to Arizona.

The operation took a deadly turn on January 7, 2026, when ICE agent shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a Minneapolis resident and schoolteacher. Federal officials claim Good attempted to ram agents with her vehicle, but video evidence and witness accounts contradict this narrative, showing Good simply trying to leave the scene when she was shot in the head. The shooting sparked immediate and massive protests, with thousands marching through south Minneapolis on January 11 and demonstrations spreading to over 1,000 locations nationwide. President Trump and DHS officials labeled Good a “domestic terrorist,” while state and local officials, including Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, called for independent investigations and filed federal lawsuits on January 12, 2026 seeking to end the operation and declare it unconstitutional. The lawsuit alleges Operation Metro Surge was “motivated by a desire to retaliate against Trump’s perceived political opponents,” specifically targeting Democratic Governor Tim Walz and the state’s large Somali-American population, whom Trump has repeatedly denigrated in inflammatory terms. Community resistance has been fierce, with protesters blocking ICE vehicles, attaching Apple AirTags to agent vehicles to track their movements, using whistles to warn of ICE presence, and creating human shields around potential targets. Schools across the Twin Cities have implemented remote learning options due to ICE presence near campuses, with Roosevelt High School experiencing a walkout of approximately 700 of its 1,400 students on Monday following ICE activity outside the school that included agents breaking car windows and pepper-spraying students.

ICE Arrests and Detention Statistics in the US 2026

Data source: TRAC Immigration, Migration Policy Institute, DHS Statistics

The arrest and detention patterns reveal a troubling shift in immigration enforcement priorities during 2026. While the administration repeatedly emphasizes targeting “the worst of the worst” criminals, actual detention data tells a different story. The 26.4% of detainees with criminal convictions represents a minority of those held, and many of these convictions involve minor offenses such as traffic violations or DUI charges rather than violent crimes. The overwhelming majority—48,377 individuals or 73.6%—are detained solely for immigration violations with no criminal record. This represents a stark departure from previous enforcement priorities that focused more heavily on individuals with serious criminal histories. The average detention period of 44 days at a cost of $152 per day per detainee translates to massive taxpayer expenses, with the total detained population as of January 7, 2026 costing approximately $10.5 million daily to maintain. The rapid growth in detention numbers, increasing from 39,000 in January 2025 to nearly 69,000 by January 2026, represents an 77% increase in less than one year, straining detention facility capacity and raising serious concerns about conditions and due process.

State-by-State Immigration Raid Statistics in the US 2026

Data sources: Deportation Data Project, State-level immigration enforcement tracking, TRAC Immigration

State-level immigration raid statistics for 2026 demonstrate the nationwide scope of enforcement operations, with Texas leading in both total arrests and detention facility capacity. The state houses an average of 13,400 detainees daily as of mid-September 2025, including the massive Camp East Montana facility at Fort Bliss, which alone holds over 2,774 people. Illinois experienced one of the most dramatic surges following Operation Midway Blitz, with over 3,300 arrests and daily rates that briefly outpaced every larger state except Texas when adjusted for population. Particularly notable is that 60% of Illinois arrests involved individuals without criminal convictions, despite administration claims of targeting dangerous criminals. Utah’s 3,040 arrests in 2025 represent more than double the 1,457 arrests in 2024, with 55% having criminal convictions—a higher rate than most states but still showing significant enforcement against those with no criminal history. California, despite sanctuary policies in many jurisdictions, has seen an estimated 15,000+ arrests throughout 2025, with ICE opening the state’s largest detention center in California City with capacity for 2,560 people. Even Hawaii, geographically isolated, saw arrests quadruple from 52 in 2024 to 194 through October 2025, demonstrating that no state has been exempt from intensified enforcement.

Operation Midway Blitz Chicago Immigration Raids in the US 2025-2026

Data sources: Marshall Project analysis, Chicago Tribune data analysis, DHS announcements

Operation Midway Blitz stands as one of the most controversial and extensively documented immigration raid operations in modern US history. Launched on September 6, 2025, and announced publicly on September 8, the operation was named in honor of Katie Abraham, a Chicago-area woman killed by an undocumented drunk driver. However, data reveals a significant disconnect between stated objectives and actual outcomes. Of the 1,900 individuals arrested during the operation’s first half, a full 66.7%—approximately 1,267 people—had no known criminal convictions or pending charges, contradicting the administration’s emphasis on targeting “the worst of the worst” criminals. The operation deployed an unprecedented array of federal resources, including ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol agents, and initially even National Guard troops until a federal judge blocked that deployment as unconstitutional on October 9, 2025. Arrestees were swiftly distributed across 13 states to various detention facilities, with over 380 individuals sent to the North Lake Processing Center in rural Baldwin, Michigan, and more than 100 transferred to the Camp East Montana tent facility in Texas. The operation gained national attention following several high-profile incidents, including the detention of Dayanne Figueroa, a US citizen recovering from kidney surgery who was pulled from her SUV, and a military-style raid featuring agents rappelling from helicopters at 1 AM on September 30, 2025.

Immigration Deportation and Removal Statistics in the US 2026

Data sources: TRAC Immigration, CNN reporting, Human Rights First ICE Flight Monitor, Migration Policy Institute

The deportation and removal statistics for 2026 present a complex picture of enforcement effectiveness. While ICE Flight Monitor recorded 8,877 immigration enforcement flights between January and September 2025—a 62% increase from the same period in 2024—the actual number of removals completed shows more modest gains. TRAC Immigration reports that total removals during the Trump administration through November 2025 reached 290,603, representing only a 7% increase over the 271,000 removals in FY 2024 under the Biden administration. This relatively small increase is particularly striking given the 120% increase in ICE manpower and massive resource allocation toward enforcement. The 56,392 removals completed in FY 2026 (which began October 1, 2025) through early 2026 suggest the pace remains elevated but below the administration’s stated goals. September 2025 marked the highest monthly total of immigration flights at 1,464, averaging 49 flights per day. Notably, domestic transfer or “shuffle” flights comprised a significant portion at 5,322 flights, representing a 53% increase as detainees are moved between facilities across the country. The administration set ambitious targets of 1,200 to 1,500 arrests per day, but actual performance has averaged around 800 arrests daily, declining to approximately 600 per day by February 2025 when ICE stopped publishing daily statistics.

ICE Detention Facilities and Capacity in the US 2026

Data sources: TRAC Immigration, Migration Policy Institute, Marshall Project analysis

The detention facility infrastructure supporting immigration raids in 2026 has expanded dramatically to accommodate record detention numbers. Camp East Montana at Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas, represents the administration’s approach to rapid capacity expansion, utilizing soft-sided tent structures that can be quickly erected. Holding an average of 2,774 detainees daily as of November 2025, it became operational in August 2025 before construction was even finished. Internal ICE inspection reports revealed it failed to meet at least 60 detention standards, and civil rights groups have documented abuse and dangerous conditions, including threats of violence to coerce detainees into crossing into Mexico. The North Lake Processing Center in rural Baldwin, Michigan, was revived specifically to handle the surge from Operation Midway Blitz, receiving over 380 Chicago-area arrestees. California City Detention Center, operated by private prison company CoreCivic, opened in fall 2025 with capacity for 2,560 people and expects to reach full capacity by early 2026. The facility faced immediate scrutiny when California’s Department of Justice issued a December 19 report detailing dangerous conditions. The administration has leaned heavily on private prison contractors, with the Dilley Immigration Processing Center resuming family detention—a practice ended under the Biden administration—where families have reported worms and mold in food and severe distress among children. Plans call for adding 41,000 detention beds, potentially bringing total capacity above 107,000 by January 2026.

Criminal vs Non-Criminal Immigration Arrests in the US 2026

Data sources: TRAC Immigration, NBC News internal ICE data, DHS Congressional testimony

The distinction between criminal and non-criminal arrests represents one of the most significant discrepancies between administration rhetoric and enforcement reality in 2026. Despite repeated claims of targeting “the worst of the worst” criminals, 73.6% of detainees—totaling 48,377 individuals as of November 30, 2025—have no criminal convictions or pending charges. They are held solely for immigration violations such as visa overstays or unauthorized entry. The 92% of detention growth in FY 2026 has come almost exclusively from increased arrests of individuals without criminal records, while the number detained with criminal convictions has remained essentially flat since August 2025. When ICE does arrest individuals with criminal convictions, these frequently involve minor offenses: the most common convictions historically include DUI, drug possession, assault, and traffic offenses rather than violent crimes. Congressional testimony revealed that ICE identified 435,000 unauthorized immigrants with criminal convictions not in custody, including 13,099 convicted of murder and 15,811 convicted of sexual assault. However, through May 2025, ICE had arrested only 752 individuals convicted of murder and 1,693 convicted of sexual assault—representing just 5.7% and 10.7% respectively of those identified. This suggests that despite the massive expansion of enforcement resources and 120% increase in personnel, ICE continues to arrest predominantly individuals without serious criminal histories rather than focusing exclusively on the dangerous criminals that administration statements emphasize.

Immigration Raid Tactics and Controversies in the US 2026

Data sources: Washington Post analysis, Prison Policy Initiative, DHS official statements

The tactical approach to immigration raids in 2026 has undergone a fundamental transformation, shifting from jail-based arrests to aggressive street-level enforcement that has generated widespread controversy. Analysis of government data by The Washington Post reveals that ICE has moved away from focusing on immigrants already held in local jails toward tracking them down in communities, on streets, and at workplaces. By August 2025, arrests at local jails averaged around 500 per day, while arrests in other locations reached nearly 700 per day, representing a reversal from earlier patterns where jail-based arrests dominated. This shift has led to highly visible operations featuring plain-clothes agents detaining people from vehicles, workplaces, and even immigration court appearances. The administration reports facing dramatically increased resistance, claiming a 1,300% increase in assaults against ICE officers, 3,200% increase in vehicle attacks, and an 8,000% increase in death threats.

However, these statistics have been challenged by civil liberties advocates who question their basis and context. The tactics have resulted in numerous documented cases of US citizens being mistakenly detained, including military veterans. In one Chicago incident captured on Ring camera, Border Patrol agents grabbed a US citizen off the street, pulled him into a vehicle, interrogated him, and dropped him off half a mile away. The military-style Operation Midway Blitz raid on September 30, 2025, featuring agents rappelling from helicopters at 1 AM, using flashbangs, and zip-tying adults, children, and US citizens, drew intense criticism and multiple lawsuits. Federal judges issued temporary restraining orders in multiple jurisdictions, blocking certain tactics including the use of tear gas and pepper spray against journalists and peaceful protesters.

Impact on Immigrant Communities in the US 2026

Data sources: TRAC Immigration, news reporting, civil rights organization documentation

The impact on immigrant communities throughout 2026 extends far beyond those directly arrested, creating pervasive climate of fear affecting millions. ICE’s Alternatives to Detention program currently monitors 182,009 families and individuals as of November 29, 2025, with a concerning shift from smartphone-based check-ins to more restrictive GPS ankle monitors at record-high levels. The Trump administration reversed prior policies prohibiting arrests at sensitive locations, explicitly authorizing ICE to conduct raids at schools, hospitals, and places of worship—locations that were previously considered off-limits. This policy change has created severe disruptions to education, with thousands of school-age children affected by fear of attending classes or seeing parents arrested at school drop-offs. Family separations have become increasingly common, with US citizen children separated from undocumented parents in numerous documented cases. The Dilley Immigration Processing Center has resumed family detention, with testimonies revealing that children have become so distressed they have hit their own faces and regressed in toilet training.

Major workplace raids have targeted businesses, including a September operation in Arizona that arrested 46 individuals with 16 criminal search warrants. Immigration court appearances have become particularly dangerous for immigrants, with ICE deploying plain-clothes agents to arrest individuals who appear for their scheduled hearings—a practice that undermines the court system itself. Communities with large immigrant populations have reported that residents fear leaving homes for basic necessities, children are kept from school, and medical care is delayed due to fear of encountering immigration enforcement. The psychological toll on mixed-status families—where some members are citizens and others are not—has been particularly severe.

Financial and Resource Allocation for Immigration Raids in the US 2026

Data sources: DHS official data, Cato Institute research, FBI data, Migration Policy Institute

The financial and resource commitment to immigration enforcement in 2026 represents an unprecedented reallocation of federal law enforcement capacity. The hiring of 12,000 new ICE officers and agents—a 120% increase in manpower—was achieved through what the administration calls “the most successful federal law enforcement agency recruitment campaign in American history,” with over 220,000 applications received. This hiring surge has strained federal budgets even as it expanded enforcement capacity. With 68,990 individuals in detention as of January 7, 2026, at a cost of $152 per person per day, taxpayers are spending approximately $10.5 million daily just on detention operations—totaling over $3.8 billion annually at current levels. The Cato Institute found in September 2025 that over 25,000 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers had been diverted from their regular duties to support immigration enforcement, including 14,498 from federal agencies and 8,501 state and local police.

Most dramatically, FBI data from October 2025 revealed that nearly 25% of FBI agents—including approximately half in major offices—had been reassigned to immigration support, significantly impacting the agency’s ability to investigate traditional federal crimes like fraud and drug trafficking. By November 2025, immigration cases had tripled in US courts while new fraud cases fell 17% and drug cases dropped 27%. The administration’s plan to add 41,000 detention beds will require billions in additional spending, much of it going to private prison contractors like CoreCivic, which are experiencing massive expansion of their immigration detention business.

Legal and Constitutional Challenges to Immigration Raids in the US 2026

Data sources: Federal court records, Supreme Court decisions, civil rights litigation tracking

Legal and constitutional challenges have created an ongoing battle over the scope and methods of immigration enforcement in 2026. On October 9, 2025, US District Judge April Perry temporarily blocked Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Chicago for Operation Midway Blitz, ruling the deployment unconstitutional under the Posse Comitatus Act and Tenth Amendment, stating the federal government failed to meet the burden needed to send military forces into a state against that state’s wishes. The same day, US District Judge Sara Ellis issued a 14-day restraining order prohibiting ICE and Border Patrol from using tear gas, pepper spray, or weapons against journalists and peaceful protesters who don’t pose serious threats. The Supreme Court decision in May 2025 permitting revocation of Temporary Protected Status for 350,000 Venezuelan immigrants was described as “the largest single action stripping any group of non-citizens of immigration status in modern US history.” However, the Court also ordered the government to return Kilmar Armando Abrego García to the US in April 2025 after determining his deportation to El Salvador’s high-security CECOT prison was improper, despite him having withholding of removal status. Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship has been blocked by every court that has reviewed it, though the Supreme Court is expected to hear the case in 2026.

Detention condition lawsuits are proceeding regarding multiple facilities, particularly Camp East Montana, where internal inspections found failures in at least 60 detention standards. The mass firing of immigration judges faces ongoing litigation, as does the administration’s practice of arresting individuals at immigration court appearances, which critics argue undermines the judicial system. State and local governments, particularly in California, Illinois, and New York, have filed dozens of lawsuits challenging various aspects of enforcement operations, with mixed results creating a patchwork of different enforcement regimes across the country.

Future Outlook for Immigration Raids in the US 2026

Data sources: Migration Policy Institute projections, administration statements, economic analysis, court data

The future trajectory of immigration raids in 2026 suggests continued escalation with potential for even more aggressive enforcement as newly hired personnel complete training and expanded detention capacity comes online. The planned addition of 41,000 detention beds could bring total capacity above 107,000 by late 2026, nearly three times the detention levels seen when Trump returned to office. Administration officials have stated intentions to dramatically expand workplace raids, which have historically been politically sensitive but effective at arresting large numbers simultaneously. If current enforcement trends continue, annual deportations could potentially reach 500,000 to 1,000,000—though achieving such numbers would require overcoming current resource constraints and court backlogs that have limited removal rates despite increased arrests.

Border crossing data shows unauthorized entries have plummeted from 2.1 million encounters in FY 2024 to approximately 444,000 in FY 2025, the lowest in over a decade, partially due to fear of the enforcement climate but also making interior enforcement the primary focus. Economic analysts warn of potential labor shortages in critical sectors like agriculture, construction, and food services, where immigrant workers comprise significant portions of the workforce. Predictions suggest 20% drops in some agricultural regions could lead to crops going unharvested. The immigration court system faces an accelerating crisis, with immigration cases tripling while other federal prosecutions decline, creating massive backlogs that could actually slow removals despite increased arrests. International agreements with countries like Honduras (accepting up to 200 Spanish-speaking deportees from other nations) and Uganda (accepting deportees from other African countries) suggest the administration will continue pursuing controversial third-country deportation arrangements. The overall trajectory indicates immigration raids will remain a dominant feature of the enforcement landscape throughout 2026 and potentially beyond, with continued legal battles, community resistance, and debate over the human and economic costs versus the stated security objectives.

Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.

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