By Tarini Parti

WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration arrested roughly 66,500 migrants living in the U.S. illegally and deported nearly 66,000 in its first 100 days, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Tuesday.

The data represent a much higher pace of arrests but slightly slower pace for deportations at the agency than the final year of the Biden administration.

Here's what to know:

The data

The Biden administration said it deported 271,000 people in the 2024 fiscal year -- an average of roughly 742 migrants a day. The Trump administration's daily average is about 660, according to the data released Tuesday.

The previous administration arrested 113,500 in the last fiscal year, or an average of 310 migrants a day. Trump has more than doubled that daily number in the first 100 days.

When Trump first took office, the administration started releasing daily ICE arrest numbers. But officials were frustrated with the slow start and eventually stopped releasing those numbers regularly. ICE officials were also given target quotas for arrests.

The context

Trump, during the campaign, promised the largest mass deportation program in U.S. history. Administration officials have been pushing for an increase in deportations and arrests, but Trump's success in lowering the number of migrants trying to cross the border has also lowered the number of people who can be more easily deported.

Border crossings have plummeted in recent months. Recent arrivals can be detained and deported more quickly at the border than in the interior of the country because ICE has to expend more time and resources on operations.

Who was targeted

Officials have said they are prioritizing arresting those with criminal records. Gang members affiliated with groups such as Tren de Aragua and MS-13, those accused or convicted of sex offenses and murders were among those arrested by ICE, the agency said.

The administration has faced criticism and legal challenges for how officials have arrested and deported migrants. Immigration officers have used aggressive tactics and many of their targets have been unusual and not had criminal records.

The Supreme Court has also blocked, for now, the deportation of a group of Venezuelan migrants whom the Trump administration has sought to remove under a rarely used wartime law known as the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.

"ICE is using every tool at its disposal to enforce our country's immigration laws and protect our communities," ICE acting Director Todd M. Lyons said.

ICE's Homeland Security Investigations has also been ramping up workplace enforcement, arresting more than 1,000 people working illegally and proposing more than $1 million in fines against businesses, the agency said.

Write to Tarini Parti at tarini.parti@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 29, 2025 14:27 ET (18:27 GMT)

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