ICE directs agents to increase daily immigration arrests to 3,000

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leadership has issued a verbal directive to agents to increase daily immigration arrests by 1,000 people, aiming for a target of 3,000 arrests per day. This directive seeks to reach approximately 19,000 arrests per week. While senior Trump administration officials state that these figures are goals rather than mandatory quotas and that agents are not punished for failing to meet them, the agency has recently solicited contracts to expand holding space due to high operational tempo.

Data regarding the administration’s immigration offensive shows that immigrant detention has increased by nearly 70% since early 2025. Additionally, mortality rates in custody have reached their highest levels since the pandemic. The intensification of enforcement has also led to increased scrutiny regarding the use of force, with at least 22 individuals shot by ICE and CBP agents during the second Trump term. The Department of Homeland Security has defended agents, stating they are trained to use the minimum force necessary to resolve dangerous situations.