Fact check: How does ICE determine who to arrest in 2025

1. Summary of the results

ICE's 2025 arrest determination process has become significantly more aggressive and systematic, operating through several key mechanisms:

• Implementation of strict daily arrest quotas, ranging from 75 arrests per field office ^[1] to an overall target of 3,000 arrests daily ^[2]
• Nationwide expansion of expedited removal, particularly targeting those who cannot prove 2-year continuous U.S. presence ^{[1] [3]}
• Mandatory detention requirements under the Laken Riley Act, even for minor offenses ^[1]
• Strategic targeting of individuals at immigration appointments ^[1]

These policies have resulted in a dramatic increase in daily arrests, rising from 415 in 2023 to over 1,800 in 2025 ^[1].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial contextual elements are worth noting:

• Despite aggressive policies, actual deportation numbers (135,000 in early 2025) are significantly lower than some claims suggest, due to legal, resource, and procedural limitations ^[4]
• A massive "self-deportation" order affecting over 500,000 immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela through the removal of humanitarian parole status ^[5]
• ICE has adopted new tactical approaches, including:

Dismissing immigration cases in court

Immediate post-dismissal arrests

• Specifically targeting migrants who entered via the CBP One app during the previous administration ^[2]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself doesn't capture the full complexity of ICE's current enforcement strategy. Several competing interests are at play:

• Federal vs. Local Tension: There's an ongoing conflict between sanctuary city policies and federal immigration enforcement efforts ^[3], suggesting that arrest determinations aren't uniform nationwide
• Political Motivations: The dramatic increase in enforcement targets and the implementation of quotas suggests political pressure to show results, potentially at the expense of due process
• Legal vs. Practical Reality: While ICE claims to be "following the law" ^[2], their strategy of rapid deportation before full legal arguments can be presented raises due process concerns
• Statistical Manipulation: The disparity between claimed and actual deportation numbers (271,000 vs. 135,000) ^[4] suggests potential manipulation of statistics for political purposes