DHS officials reveal the Biden administration inflated ICE arrest numbers by counting illegal immigrants who were caught and released rather than those actually detained and deported.
Key Takeaways
- Over two-thirds of ICE “arrests” under Biden were allegedly “enforcement theater” with migrants released instead of detained
- ICE’s interior arrests have more than doubled from 234 daily under Biden to 632 daily under President Trump
- In just seven weeks under Trump, ICE arrested 1,155 gang members and 39 suspected terrorists—nearly triple the rate under Biden
- “Pass-through” arrests reportedly helped illegal immigrants qualify for services and establish pathways to long-term residency
- Border crossings have dropped dramatically, with unauthorized entries from Mexico falling from over 60,000 in January to under 12,000 in February
Biden Administration Accused of “Cooking the Books” on Immigration Enforcement
Homeland Security Department officials have accused the Biden administration of deliberately manipulating ICE arrest statistics to create a false impression of strong immigration enforcement. According to multiple sources within DHS, the previous administration counted incidents where illegal immigrants were caught and immediately released as “arrests” in their official data. A senior ICE official stated that more than two-thirds of the arrests recorded during the Biden years were essentially “enforcement theater,” with migrants quickly released back into American communities rather than detained or deported.
Todd Lyons, acting director at ICE, has brought these questionable practices to light as the new Trump administration implements stricter immigration policies. “We found tens of thousands of cases that were recorded as arrests when, in fact, these instances were illegal aliens that were simply processed and released into American communities,” said Lyons. These revelations suggest the actual enforcement numbers under the Biden administration were significantly lower than reported to the American public.
BREAKING: Senior ICE and DHS officials just held a background call w/ reporters. Highlights below, per these officials:
Trump administration ICE interior arrests of illegal aliens inside the US has already surpassed all of Biden's ICE interior arrests in all of Fiscal Year 2024.…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) March 12, 2025
Trump Administration Shows Dramatic Increase in Actual Enforcement
The contrast between the Biden and Trump approaches to immigration enforcement appears stark when examining the corrected data. ICE recorded 32,809 interior arrests from January 20 to March 10 under President Trump, nearly matching the total for all of 2024 when excluding the questionable “pass-through” arrests. This represents a significant shift in enforcement priorities and effectiveness in just the first weeks of the new administration.
“This gave them a pathway to establishing a long-term … residency here in the U.S.,” said a senior ICE official.
Most notably, the arrests under President Trump have included 1,155 known or suspected gang members and 39 known or suspected terrorists. Officials report this represents nearly three times the arrest rate for dangerous individuals compared to the Biden administration. ICE’s interior arrests have more than doubled from the previous average of 234 per day under Biden to 632 per day under Trump, suggesting a renewed focus on enforcement within American communities rather than just at the border.
The Purpose and Impact of “Pass-Through” Arrests
According to DHS officials, the directive to count “pass-through” arrests came directly from within the Biden administration’s Homeland Security Department. These superficial arrests reportedly served dual purposes: inflating enforcement statistics while simultaneously providing illegal immigrants documentation showing they were in a legal process. This documentation could qualify migrants for various services and potentially aid in establishing long-term residency in the United States.
“This victory at our borders makes the past four years even more of a tragedy,” Rep. Mark Green said.
Despite the current administration’s increased enforcement efforts, resources remain strained. ICE is currently holding 47,600 migrants in detention, with officials stating they are “maxed out.” Meanwhile, deportations are occurring at a rate of about 645 people daily in late February, which represents a 17% decrease from the same period in 2024. Officials attribute this reduction to fewer new illegal immigrants at the border rather than decreased enforcement efforts.
Border Crossing Numbers Show Dramatic Decrease
Customs and Border Protection has reported a significant decrease in unauthorized migrants entering from Mexico. Numbers have dropped precipitously from over 60,000 in January to 11,709 in February as President Trump’s border policies take effect. The number of unaccompanied alien children and family migrants crossing the border has also decreased substantially during this period, suggesting a major shift in migration patterns in response to the new administration’s approach.
Representative Mark Green, commenting on these developments, highlighted the human cost of the previous administration’s policies. Green specifically cited the deaths of Laken Riley and Kayla Hamilton as tragic consequences of catch-and-release practices that allowed potentially dangerous individuals to remain in American communities. These cases have become rallying points for supporters of stricter immigration enforcement as the new administration works to implement its border security agenda.
Sources:
- DHS: Biden admin was ‘cooking the books’ to pump up ICE arrests – Washington Times
- DHS: Biden admin was ‘cooking the books’ to pump up ICE arrests – Washington Times
