ICE's detainee population reaches new record high of 73,000, as crackdown widens
CBS News • • general
Key Points:
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainee numbers have reached a record high of approximately 73,000, marking an 84% increase from early 2025 and the highest level in the agency's 23-year history.
- Nearly 67,000 detainees are single adults, while about 6,000 are family units; roughly 47% have criminal charges or convictions, with the remainder held solely for civil immigration violations.
- The number of non-criminal detainees arrested by ICE surged by 2,500% between January 2025 and January 2026, outpacing the growth in detainees with criminal records.
- ICE's expansion in detention capacity has been supported by a $
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