Newly released data shows U.S. immigration authorities arrested, detained, and deported tens of thousands of people during the federal government shutdown, even as most other federal operations came to a halt, The Guardian reported.
Between October 1 and November 15, Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested about 54,000 people and deported roughly 56,000. The surge pushed nationwide immigration detention above 65,000 — the highest level ever recorded.
Despite administration claims that ICE was targeting dangerous offenders, more than 21,000 of those arrested had no criminal record.
ICE Houston arrests 3,593 criminal illegal immigrants during government shutdownhttps://t.co/RkGYzQt8ta
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) November 21, 2025
Analysts say undocumented presence is a civil infraction, not a crime, and the data undermines assertions that enforcement is focused on “the worst of the worst.”
Officials have ordered ICE to dramatically scale up operations, directing officers to arrest at least 3,000 people per day and to detain “collaterals,” meaning individuals swept up during raids.
Even as the Democrats kept the federal government shutdown for 43 days, @ICEgov agents in Houston stayed on the job (without pay) and nabbed more than 3,500 criminal aliens.
— Michael Quinn Sullivan 🇺🇸 (@MQSullivan) November 20, 2025
The men and women of ICE deserve our appreciation! pic.twitter.com/RnOmtdBCFq
Expanded funding and redeployed border agents have fueled large-scale operations across major U.S. cities.
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TIPP Staff
TIPP Staff
