Record ICE Detention Levels Raise Alarm as 2025 Surges Past Previous Years

Record-high detention numbers are reshaping the U.S. immigration landscape in 2025. ICE is now holding more than 65,000 people—most with no criminal convictions—marking the largest detainee population in the agency’s history. A year-to-year comparison shows detention levels nearly doubling since December 2024, raising urgent questions about enforcement priorities, capacity, and the human impact of prolonged civil detention.