What is currently happening with ICE inside the U.S.?

As of July 11, the agency was holding 65,765 people in 245 facilities around the country (TRAC Immigration)

ICE reports its detained population according to three categories:

those with prior criminal convictions (29%, or 19,329 people)
those facing criminal charges (31%, or 20,247 people)
those with no criminal history. (40%, or 26,189 people)

Since September 15, ICE has stopped listing people with final deportation orders in its online search tool, with some court-required exceptions, making it harder for families and lawyers to locate and arrange legal support, including for those still challenging their deportation. (American Immigration Council)

On October 6, the University of California at Los Angeles, reported that ICE arrests had quadrupled compared with the last six months of the previous administration. The increase was even greater for arrests in neighborhoods, at immigration courts, and during ICE check-ins, which were 11 times higher.

Additionally, an October 6 investigation by ProPublica found that more than 500 U.S. citizens have been detained by federal immigration agents since January 2025. Those detained included children, people recording enforcement activities, and people protesting immigration arrests. In more than 100 cases, agents questioned their citizenship; nearly all of these individuals were people of color.

These incidents raise questions about officers’ preparation. The Washington Post noted in an October 6 report that ICE temporarily shortened training for new officers from 72 days to 42 days before returning it to 72 days after criticism.

Furthermore, The Marshall Project reported that over 8,500 children had been arrested by ICE during the current administration, resulting in disrupted schooling, separation from parents, and barriers to legal help. In one case, an attorney could not locate a mother and her two children after ICE confined them to a Texas hotel room for nine days. The report also documented children being held separately from their parents.

Sources
TRAC Immigration Detention Quick Facts
ICE Begins Electronically ‘Disappearing’ People in Custody: What You Need to Know – American Immigration Council
What’s Really Happening With Immigration | UCLA
https://projects.propublica.org/american-citizens-detained-dhs-civil-rights/
Emails show how ICE trimmed training for deputized officers – The Washington Post
ICE Has Arrested Twice As Many Children This Year | The Marshall Project