Fewer non-criminal ICE arrests drives decline in detention population

Politics ICE detained fewer non-criminals since Minnesota crackdown, driving a decline in detention population, data shows By Julia Ingram Julia Ingram Data Journalist Julia Ingram is a data journalist for CBS News Confirmed. She uses data analysis and computation to cover misinformation, AI and social media. Read Full Bio Julia Ingram April 13, 2026 / 6:00 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google The number of people in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody declined by 12% from a record-high in January to the end of March, data released by the agency on Thursday shows, driven largely by a decline in detentions of those without criminal records. The drop follows the nationwide, bipartisan backlash to the massive immigration enforcement operation in the Minneapolis area; the killings of two American citizens at the hands of federal agents there; and a shakeup in Department of Homeland Security leadership. It also marks the first major decline since President Trump returned to office and began an unprecedented deportation crackdown that has made anyone in the U.S. without lawful status subject to arrest and detention. Data for the first week of April indicates the detention population's decline is continuing.Despite the decline, the average daily detention population remains at historic high levels, above levels seen during the Biden administration and the first Trump administration. An average of about 63,000 people were detained each day in March, ICE reported, compared to about 72,000 in January. Those detained by ICE are accused of civil immigration violations, such as crossing the border illegally or overstaying a visa. Non-criminal detainees accused of civil violations of U.S. immigration law were previously the fastest-growing group in ICE custody, compared to those with pending criminal charges or prior convictions. But from January to March, the average number of detainees without criminal records dropped by 21%, although they are still t...