Significant Surge in Deportations Under Current Administration
The number of deportations in the United States surged fivefold during the first year of the current presidential administration, as detailed in a recent report from the Deportation Data Project. This alarming trend highlights intense changes in immigration enforcement strategies that have taken shape since the administration’s inception.
The analysis, which provides insights from newly updated Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data, was conducted by attorneys specializing in law and freedom of information from the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of California, Berkeley. The dataset encompasses all arrests, detentions, and deportations recorded between October 1, 2022, and March 10, 2026, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, and is accessible on the project’s website.
Researchers scrutinized immigration enforcement patterns from the end of the Biden administration through the onset of the second Trump administration, covering large-scale crackdowns in key urban areas. They observed that the rise in arrests wasn’t confined to notable cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis. According to Graham Blair of UCLA, who co-authored the report, instances of street arrests specifically accounted for only 15% of the total nationwide during peak operations.
While major cities saw notable increases, other regions reported a widespread rise in arrests as well. This trend reflects a nationwide escalation in immigration enforcement practices. From the end of the Biden administration to January 2026, ICE arrests surged more than fourfold, a significant shift from previous reliance on jail and prison transfers, which also doubled during this period. However, the rate of street arrests—defined as those occurring in neighborhoods and businesses—remarkably grew 11 times.
Furthermore, the research revealed a dramatic increase in the number of daily detention beds in the U.S., which quadrupled throughout 2025. This surge in detainment reflects a broader strategy of detaining more individuals while reducing the number released. Daily detentions jumped from an average of about 14,000 individuals in late 2024 to approximately 57,000 by January 2026.
Particularly striking was the finding that arrest rates for individuals without prior convictions increased more than eightfold. In a similar vein, the deportation rates for individuals who had not been previously ordered deported more than doubled during this timeline.
Despite growing cases of indiscriminate arrests by ICE, David Hausman, co-director of the Deportation Data Project and assistant professor at UC Berkeley School of Law, noted that an increasing number of these arrests are leading to deportations. This is concerning as many arrested individuals are more likely to succeed in their immigration cases. Hausman points to the role of detention in dissuading individuals from pursuing their legal options, driving up the rates of voluntary departures and returns to home countries, which have skyrocketed 28-fold amid increasing challenges to secure bail or judicial review.
Even following notable events leading to public outcry, researchers reported a minor decline in enforcement activities that has yet to translate into a decrease in deportations. This updated report builds on previous findings covering the initial nine months of the current administration, leveraging about five months of newly acquired data.
