Overview
- New DHS figures put ICE’s population at about 73,000 as of Thursday, including roughly 67,000 single adults and 6,000 people in family units.
- About 47% of those in custody have U.S. criminal charges or convictions, with the rest detained solely for civil immigration violations.
- Government data show a roughly 2,500% jump since January 2025 in detainees initially arrested by ICE who have no U.S. criminal record.
- Detention capacity expanded rapidly in 2025 to about 212 facilities, adding tent sites and military locations such as Fort Bliss and state-run centers in Florida.
- 2025 recorded at least 30 in-custody deaths, and several more have been reported in early 2026, including a Jan. 14 death in Georgia now being reviewed by Mexico’s consulate in Atlanta.