The federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agency has seen a significant surge in the arrest and detention of immigrants without criminal histories since the beginning of the second Trump administration, as revealed by a data analysis by the Guardian. This increase contradicts Trump’s claims of targeting only “criminals” for deportation under his anti-immigration agenda. The data shows a notable rise in the arrest of immigrants with pending charges and those with no criminal record, with an 807% increase in the latter group between January and June.

Despite claims by the Department of Homeland Security and White House officials that Ice focuses on “criminals,” the data suggests otherwise. While Ice does arrest individuals with criminal records, detailed statistics on the types of crimes are not readily available. A directive from top Trump administration officials in late May ordered Ice to ramp up arrests, aiming for 3,000 per day.

These increased immigration enforcement efforts have led to a surge in the number of detainees in Ice facilities nationwide, reaching the highest level since 2019. The rapid rise in detentions poses challenges for oversight and raises concerns about overcrowding, inadequate living conditions, and medical care within these facilities. Critics have also raised alarm over the targeting of asylum seekers in immigration courts.

Advocates and organizations are pushing back against the administration’s tactics, with legal challenges being mounted to block courthouse arrests. The discrepancy between government data on arrests and deportations and the numbers publicized by the Trump administration has raised questions about transparency and honesty in reporting. Critics believe the administration may be manipulating data to fit political agendas.