President Trump has claimed ramped up ICE enforcement activities, arrests, and removals since his inauguration. However, data from Syracuse University’s TRAC system show that daily arrests are only slightly (2%) up when compared to arrests under President Biden. Biden’s arrests were a result of thousands of apprehensions at the border while Trump’s are in the interior of the country. Currently, border apprehensions plunged to 282 average per day in May, after peaking at nearly 8,000 a day in December of 2023.

Nevertheless, there are some 59,000 individuals currently detained by ICE as a result of increased internal enforcement, surpassing the previous record of 55,000 in 2019. With low activity at borders, many CBP officers are assisting the 6,000 ICE agents to make internal arrests, with more agents potentially to come. President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” would provide funding to hire more ICE agents to make additional arrests if it is enacted.

One key and new target area of enforcement has been at immigration courts, with ICE agents specifically targeting foreign nationals who have not lived in the United States for two years.

Foreign nationals who are vulnerable to deportation and who are required to appear at immigration court are encouraged to seek immigration counsel as the most effective strategy for avoiding detention and removal.  An attorney can request that the hearing take place over Webex and can make legal arguments against termination. Additionally, an attorney can request that ICE schedule a credible fear interview, if appropriate, because a grant of credible fear rescinds an expedited order of removal and permits the individual to apply for asylum.