Trump admin accuses Biden of ‘cooking the books’ on ICE arrest data
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests have surged since President Donald Trump took office, surpassing the total number of arrests made in all of 2024, the agency revealed on Wednesday. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons accused the Biden administration of manipulating data to mislead the public, claiming that tens of thousands of cases were falsely recorded as arrests when they were actually just individuals processed and released into American communities.
Senior officials disclosed that the majority of the 113,431 arrests made in FY 2024 were considered “pass-through” arrests, where ICE did not take enforcement action against the individuals who were released into the interior of the United States. However, under the Trump administration, all arrests made by ICE were genuine immigration enforcement actions, not just for show.
In FY 2024, ICE enforcement removal operations conducted 33,242 at-large arrests, accounting for only 29% of all ICE arrests. By comparison, from January 20 to March 10 of this year, ICE made 32,809 arrests, indicating that they are on track to surpass the total number of arrests from the previous fiscal year.
Of the recent arrests, 14,111 were convicted criminals, 9,980 had pending criminal charges, and over 1,150 were suspected gang members – a substantial increase from the previous year. Officials emphasized that each illegal alien arrested is now facing enforcement actions, marking a significant shift in ICE’s approach to immigration enforcement.
The Trump administration has been steadfast in its commitment to cracking down on illegal immigration and reversing the Biden-era policies that contributed to the crisis at the southern border. By implementing stricter border security measures, limiting asylum claims, and conducting targeted raids in sanctuary cities, the administration has seen a notable increase in arrests and a decrease in border encounters.
In a recent development, the Department of Homeland Security announced the replacement of the controversial CBP One app with a new CBP Home app, designed to facilitate self-deportations. ICE Director Todd Lyons expressed confidence in the agency’s ability to carry out its mission effectively after years of constraints under the previous administration.
The efforts to enhance immigration enforcement and secure the border have been met with support from ICE agents and officers, who are eager to fulfill the agency’s mandate. The Trump administration’s proactive approach to immigration enforcement is yielding tangible results and paving the way for a more secure and orderly immigration system.
Adam Shaw, a politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering immigration and border security, contributed to this report. For more information on immigration-related news and updates, follow him on Twitter at @AdamShawNY.
