How many total noncitizens did ICE detain in 2024 compared with 2023?
Executive summary
ICE’s published figures show a modest increase in the number of noncitizens in ICE custody at the end of the fiscal year: 36,845 in custody at the end of FY2023 versus 37,684 at the end of FY2024 — an increase of 839 people (about +2.3%) — while ICE’s non‑detained docket expanded far more dramatically from about 6.1 million to more than 7.6 million (about +24.6%) [1]. These headline numbers mask important differences between end‑of‑year snapshots, daily averages, and annual book‑ins, so the full picture requires parsing multiple ICE datasets and independent analyses [2] [3] [4].
1. End‑of‑year custody: a small rise, precisely reported
ICE’s FY2024 annual report explicitly states that the number of noncitizens in ERO custody increased from 36,845 at the end of FY2023 to 37,684 at the end of FY2024, a net rise of 839 people [1]. That is the most direct, comparable “how many were detained” metric published by ICE for the two fiscal year endpoints and is the least ambiguous way to compare custody totals across years when using agency releases [1].
2. Daily averages and booked‑in totals: different lenses, different stories
The yearly endpoints are only one measure; funding and operational metrics tell a different story. Congress provided funding in FY2023 for a daily average detention population of about 34,000 and in FY2024 to detain a daily average of about 41,500, reflecting policy and capacity shifts even as end‑of‑year custody rose only slightly [2]. Independent sources report that FY2023 saw roughly 273,220 people booked into ICE custody (a flow measure), while ICE’s reporting and outside analyses show removals and bookings vary widely by quarter and are not directly equivalent to the end‑of‑year snapshot [3] [4].
3. Arrests, removals and the churn behind custody counts
ICE’s enforcement activity accelerated in 2024: the agency reports 113,431 arrests in FY2024 and a sharp rise in removals, including a cited figure that removals after border arrests reached 224,000 in FY2024 — all of which increase turnover through detention even if the end‑of‑year census barely moved [1] [4]. Quarterly dashboards show removals in Q3 FY2024 were nearly 68,000 — a 69% increase compared with Q3 FY2023 — illustrating that high throughput (book‑ins and removals) can coexist with only modest net changes in custody at a specific snapshot in time [5].
4. The non‑detained docket exploded while custody edged up
A striking element of ICE’s FY2024 report is the rapid growth of its non‑detained docket — people subject to ICE supervision without physical custody — from about 6.1 million at the end of FY2023 to more than 7.6 million at the end of FY2024, roughly a 24.6% increase [1]. That expansion is crucial context: most removable noncitizens now reside on supervised, non‑detained caseloads rather than in facilities, so counting only those physically detained understates the scope of ICE’s case load and public impact [1].
5. Caveats, data gaps and competing interpretations
ICE’s different metrics — end‑of‑year counts, daily averages, booked‑in totals, arrests, removals and non‑detained docket figures — are not interchangeable, and reporting choices shape the narrative; for example, an agency can highlight modest custody increases while pointing to large increases in removals to argue for enforcement success [1] [5]. Independent researchers and advocacy groups draw different conclusions from overlapping datasets (e.g., on who is being detained or detained longer), and some public analyses rely on additional sources or granular book‑in data that ICE does not always publish in a single consolidated table [4] [6]. Where claims go beyond the ICE releases cited here, the available sources do not permit firm adjudication.