How often does ICE mistakenly detain naturalized citizens due to errors?
Executive summary
Available reporting and oversight finds that ICE has repeatedly detained and even deported U.S. citizens by mistake, but the agency does not consistently track such incidents, making the true frequency unclear; GAO found ICE issued detainers for at least 895 potential citizens from FY2015 through March 2020 and canceled about 74% of those detainers [1], while investigative reporting and advocacy groups documented more than 170 citizen detention incidents in 2025 alone and nonprofits estimated up to 70 citizens deported over five years [2] [3].
1. A problem documented — but not fully counted
Independent audits and watchdogs show ICE has encountered and sometimes detained people later shown to be U.S. citizens, yet the agency lacks a reliable, systematic tracking system for citizenship-investigation encounters; the U.S. Government Accountability Office reviewed ICE data and reported at least 895 detainers for potential U.S. citizens from FY2015 through March 2020 and noted inconsistent guidance and poor tracking [1].
2. What the numbers say — partial snapshots, not a complete picture
Available sources offer different tallies: advocacy groups and reporting tallied “more than 170” detentions of citizens in one 2025 review and a separate American Immigration Council briefing said ICE may have deported as many as 70 U.S. citizens over five years [2] [3]. Those figures document a pattern of mistaken action but cannot be taken as definitive counts because DHS/ICE do not publish a clear, consolidated dataset [1].
3. How mistakes happen — routine failures in identification and records
Multiple explanations recur across the reporting: misidentification (including similar names), outdated or erroneous agency records, reliance on imperfect detainers, and inconsistent field guidance that can lead officers to detain someone while citizenship is being verified [4] [5] [1]. GAO specifically flagged inconsistent ICE guidance and gaps in training and documentation that contribute to errors [1].
4. Human stories and political fallout fuel scrutiny
The reporting and lawsuits make clear consequences: people held without phone access or counsel for extended periods; family members unaware of a detainee’s whereabouts; public officials demanding investigations after individual incidents; and congressional requests for data and accountability [6] [7] [8]. These cases have prompted members of Congress and civil-rights groups to press for answers and policy fixes [7] [8].
5. Agency pushback and competing narratives
DHS and ICE have publicly disputed some media accounts and insist they do not deport citizens intentionally and that standards are met in detention facilities [9]. That official rebuttal conflicts with investigative reporting, watchdog audits, and court rulings showing wrongful detentions have occurred [9] [6] [10]. The discrepancy reflects competing incentives: agencies defend enforcement programs and public trust, while reporters and advocates highlight systemic failures and individual harms.
6. Legal and oversight signals — courts and Congress stepping in
Courts and lawmakers have acted where documented errors occurred: a federal court ruled for a U.S. citizen illegally detained after an ICE detainer misidentified him [10]; members of Congress demanded briefings and data about how many citizens have been stopped, detained, or deported and what discipline or training occurred [7] [8]. Those interventions underscore that the problem is both operational and political [10] [7].
7. What this means for frequency estimates and public guidance
Because ICE does not systematically track citizenship-investigation outcomes, researchers and advocates rely on case compilations, lawsuits, and media reporting to estimate frequency; those methods show the problem is nontrivial (hundreds of detainers, scores of documented detentions and perhaps dozens of deportations) but cannot produce a precise annual rate [1] [2] [3]. Practical advice emerging in reporting and legal guides recommends that citizens carry proof of status and seek immediate legal help if detained, though carrying ID is a private-choice mitigation rather than a solution to agency recordkeeping failures [11] [12].
8. Bottom line — documented pattern, unknown scale, contested explanations
Available sources converge on three facts: mistaken detentions of U.S. citizens have occurred and caused real harm; oversight bodies and advocates have documented hundreds of related detainer cases and dozens-to-hundreds of citizen encounters in recent years [1] [2] [3]; and ICE/DHS resist some elements of the reporting while committing to higher standards in public statements [9]. Because ICE’s own recordkeeping is incomplete, the exact frequency of mistaken detentions of naturalized citizens remains unknown [1].