A SHIFT Away From Criminals—PRIORITIES?

What happens when enforcement aims for numbers rather than sense?

At a Glance

• ICE arrests have more than doubled in 38 states since President Trump took office, driven by a new enforcement push.
• White House advisor Stephen Miller has reportedly set a target of 3,000 arrests per day.
• New data shows an 807% increase in the arrest of immigrants with no criminal record.
• The new focus has drawn criticism, including from some Republicans who say it wastes resources that should be focused on serious threats.

An Escalating Push for ICE Arrests

A new analysis of federal data reveals a dramatic surge in interior immigration arrests since President Donald Trump took office in January. According to a report from The New York Times, arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have more than doubled in 38 states. The push is reportedly being driven by senior White House advisor Stephen Miller, who set a target of 3,000 arrests per day. While the current daily average of around 1,100 falls short of that goal, it still represents a record high.

The enforcement surge has been most pronounced in states like Texas, which has seen over 20,000 arrests, and Florida. The aggressive tactics have sparked protests in cities like Los Angeles, where activists have tried to block ICE operations.

A Shift Away from “Criminals”

The most significant change in the new enforcement strategy is who is being arrested. While the administration’s public rhetoric focuses on targeting “criminals,” the data tells a different story. According to a detailed analysis by The Guardian, there has been an 807% increase in the arrests of immigrants with no criminal record.

“The group of people arrested with only immigration violations used to be very, very small,” said Austin Kocher, a researcher at Syracuse University who tracks immigration enforcement data. Now, individuals whose only offense is a civil immigration violation are increasingly being swept up in the enforcement dragnet.

A Misuse of Resources?

The new focus on non-criminal immigrants has drawn sharp criticism, not just from the left, but also from within the Republican party. A group of GOP congressional members has argued that the new strategy is a dangerous misallocation of resources.

“Every minute that we spend pursuing an individual with a clean record is a minute less that we dedicate to apprehending terrorists or cartel operatives,” the group stated in a letter. The criticism highlights a growing concern that the pressure to meet a daily arrest quota is diverting attention and manpower away from genuine national security threats. The debate over the new tactics reveals a deep rift over whether the administration’s push for high arrest numbers is truly making the country safer or simply creating chaos.