Recent data from the Deportation Data Project at UC Berkeley reveals that a significant increase in arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Washington state and across the nation under the Trump administration predominantly involves individuals without criminal convictions or pending charges. This trend aligns with the administration’s ambitious goal of deporting one million people annually, supported by a $75 million allocation from Congress for immigration enforcement.
The number of “at-large” arrests, or community arrests made by ICE, has also surged in recent months. According to ICE documentation, these arrests target individuals who have not adhered to final orders of removal or have failed to check in with ICE as required. This category includes those detained during mandatory ICE check-ins or following immigration court proceedings.
The Deportation Data Project’s records encompass administrative arrests, which are made when ICE agents suspect or identify individuals in violation of U.S. immigration law. Importantly, these statistics do not include criminal arrests, which are defined as detentions based on alleged criminal offenses unrelated to immigration status. Such criminal arrests are typically conducted by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations division and may involve serious crimes like human trafficking or smuggling. In 2024, arrests linked to criminal immigration investigations represented about 25% of all ICE arrests.
Since President Trump’s inauguration on January 20 through June 25, ICE has conducted over 780 known administrative arrests in Washington state, with more than 42% of these individuals lacking any criminal history. Many of those arrested are individuals who have overstayed their visas or are in the U.S. without legal status. This group also includes people whose humanitarian legal status was revoked by the Trump administration, such as Venezuelans previously allowed entry under temporary asylum visas.
Despite requests from KUOW for arrest records, ICE has repeatedly declined to provide this information. Notably, in recent months, those with criminal convictions have constituted a decreasing percentage of ICE arrests. Data indicates that only 320 arrests in Washington, nearly 41%, involved individuals with prior criminal convictions, compared to nearly 70% during the final five months of the Biden administration.
This shift in the profile of ICE arrests comes amidst federal assurances that enforcement efforts are focused on serious offenders. Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, emphasized the dedication of ICE agents to safeguarding communities from serious criminals in a press release on July 15.
Furthermore, ICE has increased arrests of individuals facing criminal charges but not yet convicted. Together, these two categories—people without criminal charges and those without convictions—account for 59% of ICE arrests in Washington over the past five months, marking a notable change under Trump’s immigration policies compared to the 31% recorded during Biden’s administration.
As of July 7, 60% of the 1,052 detainees at the Tacoma facility are classified by ICE as non-criminal offenders, according to the agency’s regularly updated detention reports. A recent CBS News report indicates that the Trump administration is on track to achieve the highest number of deportations since President Obama; however, the pace of deportations will need to accelerate to meet Trump’s target of one million this year.
