Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misstated the percentage increase of nationwide deportation arrests from Jan. 20 through May 31. The story has been updated.
Deportation arrests nationwide have risen sharply since President Trump took office on Jan. 20, with a 45% increase increase through May compared to the same time last year.
Since Trump took office, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has made about 95,632 administrative arrests across the U.S.
Deportation arrests up in Florida
In Florida, there’s been about a 33% increase in arrests since the beginning of Trump’s second administration.
The Sunshine State also had the second-highest number of confirmed administrative arrests, with about 12% of all arrests nationwide.
Texas had the most arrests, with California placing third.
What communities were most affected by ICE arrests?
Mexican, Guatemalan and Honduran communities were the most affected, making up nearly 55% of all arrests.
Although there have been more than 95,000 arrests, that number is far smaller than the 150,000 plus arrests Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed in April.
One of Trump’s key promises during his 2024 campaign was mass deportations of illegal immigrants. To make that happen, officials say Trump removed restrictions on arresting people in sensitive locations like churches, schools, and hospitals. ICE also engaged in more agreements and partnerships with local governments to aid in the arrests of undocumented immigrants.
Both the Volusia Sheriff’s Office and Flagler County Sheriff’s Office have agreed to support ICE through the 287(g) Program.
About the ICE data
The data represents administrative arrests by ICE’s Enforcement Removal Operations, meaning the arrests were made because the person is or has been suspected of a civil immigration law offense. It does not include criminal arrests made by ICE or its Homeland Security Investigation division.
The data comes from the Deportation Data Project, which acquires datasets directly from the government through public records requests.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: ICE arrests have increased dramatically nationwide. What about Florida?
Reporting by Gabriel Velasquez Neira, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
