Fact check: What are ICE's current enforcement priorities under the Biden administration?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, there is limited current information about ICE's enforcement priorities under the Biden administration. The most relevant information comes from a February 2025 source, which indicates that the Biden administration's enforcement priorities focus on deporting recent border arrivals and individuals who pose threats to national security or public safety ^[1].

The Biden administration has implemented policies designed to incentivize migrants to seek lawful pathways into the United States rather than irregular border crossings ^[1]. Despite these targeted priorities, the administration has carried out over 1.1 million removals since the beginning of fiscal year 2021, demonstrating significant enforcement activity ^[1].

A key operational development has been the Biden administration's agreement with Mexico to accept back certain nationalities, including Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, which has facilitated deportation operations ^[1].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The analyses reveal several critical gaps in understanding ICE's current enforcement priorities:

• Resource constraints: The Biden administration faces significant challenges in carrying out deportations due to lack of resources and the need to negotiate with countries to accept their nationals who have been issued U.S. removal orders ^[1].
• Policy transitions: Recent sources from 2025 focus heavily on Trump administration changes, including the termination of the CHNV parole program, which allowed certain nationalities to enter the United States temporarily ^[2]. This policy shift has created a significant expansion of the undocumented population ^[2].
• Impact on legal status holders: The analyses show that individuals who were previously granted legal status under Biden-era programs are now at risk of being deported and are seeking alternative options, such as relocating to other countries ^[2].
• Operational focus: Multiple sources discuss Trump administration enforcement operations rather than Biden administration priorities, including "record-breaking immigration enforcement" activities ^[3] and how Trump's focus on immigration enforcement impacts other law enforcement operations ^[4].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself does not contain misinformation, but the timing context is crucial. Given that the current date is June 19, 2025, and several sources discuss Trump administration policies and enforcement actions from 2025 ^{[5] [4] [3] [2]}, there appears to be a significant policy transition that affects the relevance of Biden administration priorities.

The question assumes Biden administration policies are currently in effect, but the evidence suggests that Trump administration policies have superseded Biden-era enforcement priorities. Sources indicate that Trump administration directives are now expanding law enforcement operations ^[5] and implementing sweeping new ICE operations ^[4].

Political stakeholders who would benefit from emphasizing different enforcement approaches include immigration advocacy organizations, detention facility operators, and politicians seeking to demonstrate either humanitarian or security-focused credentials, though specific names are not provided in the available analyses.