Federal immigration authorities have arrested more than 10,000 people over the past five days, marking a sharp increase as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intensifies efforts to boost enforcement operations and arrest numbers.
According to documents obtained by The New York Times and interviews with federal officials, ICE leadership recently directed senior agency officials to intensify efforts to locate and arrest immigrants targeted for deportation. Officers have carried out arrests during routine immigration check-ins, traffic stops and street operations. The renewed enforcement campaign appears to have significantly increased arrests, with daily figures climbing to nearly double the roughly 1,000 recorded earlier this year.
ICE officials were reportedly informed by White House representatives that a higher arrest rate was expected, according to three officials with knowledge of the matter. One of the officials said it remains uncertain how long the intensified pace can be maintained, but noted that ICE has been told to aim for around 2,000 arrests per day as the new enforcement standard.
The recent increase has taken place without the high-profile, widely publicised operations seen last year, when authorities announced in advance plans to target cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles, deploying large numbers of officers into the streets. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has since pledged a more low-profile enforcement approach, following a controversial month-long operation in Minnesota during which federal officers killed two U.S. citizens.
The sharp increase in arrests appears to reflect President Donald Trump’s push to fulfil his promise of mass deportations—an objective that remains popular with his conservative base but has also sparked political criticism over the administration’s enforcement methods. Officials have signalled that further escalations are likely following recent Supreme Court rulings that broadened the president’s authority over federal immigration policy, while simultaneously limiting efforts to end birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants and temporary visitors.
“Our message is clear: If you come to our country illegally, we will find you, we will arrest you and we will deport you,” Lauren Bis, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, said in a statement.
Reports of a rise in arrests have begun to emerge gradually, heightening anxiety within immigrant communities and among advocacy groups who were already unsettled after the Supreme Court ruled that Trump could terminate deportation protections for nationals from disaster- and conflict-affected countries under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) programme.
A new surge in enforcement by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in recent days has led to a significant rise in arrests. According to documents obtained by The New York Times, authorities detained more than 2,400 people on Saturday alone, marking the highest daily total in the period under review. Internal figures also show that the population held in ICE detention facilities has grown by nearly 4,000, reaching more than 63,000 individuals as of Tuesday.
“I want to personally thank each of you for your extraordinary efforts this past weekend,” Marcos Charles, the head of ICE’s deportation wing, wrote this week. “Through your dedication, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to our mission, enforcement and removal operations achieved remarkable operational results.”
Senior ICE officials were reportedly directed to ensure that the maximum number of officers were deployed on a seven-day work schedule, according to two U.S. officials familiar with internal discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity. The guidance also required roughly 80% of officers to be assigned to arrest operations, while top supervisors were expected to be more directly involved in coordinating and monitoring enforcement activities.
In the previous year, Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, reportedly set a daily arrest target of 3,000 for ICE, which the agency was unable to achieve. Since that period, ICE has bolstered its staffing with thousands of new recruits and secured a budget increase worth several billion dollars to support the broader enforcement push.
Immigration lawyers and advocacy groups across the United States have reported a noticeable rise in enforcement activity.
A Nigerian nun, Sister Letty Ugboaja, was reportedly arrested in South Texas on Sunday morning as she made her way to church, according to her colleague, Sister Norma Pimentel. Ugboaja works as a nurse in the area and also assists with parish duties. After learning of the arrest, Pimentel said she contacted local authorities, prompting involvement from congressional officials who then pushed for her release.
She was released from ICE custody on Sunday, with Sister Norma Pimentel present to receive her. Pimentel said Ugboaja was visibly distressed after being freed. “It took her a while to be able to talk — she was crying,” she said.
Immigration lawyers in southern Florida say they have been closely monitoring a rise in enforcement activity. Miami-based immigration attorney Cindy Blandon said one of her clients, a Nicaraguan father of two whose immigration court hearing was scheduled for 2027, was detained by ICE on Monday during a routine check-in.
