ICE detained fewer non-criminals since Minnesota crackdown, driving a decline in detention population, data shows

Source: CBS News

April 13, 2026 / 6:00 AM EDT


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.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-detentions-decline-non-criminals-minnesota-crackdown-data/