January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 14159, “Protecting the American People Against Invasion Act.” This act, signed the same day Trump took the Presidential seat, was said to be made in response to an uptick in unlawful immigration.
A statement released by The White House says, “Millions of illegal aliens crossed our borders or were permitted to fly directly into the United States on commercial flights and allowed to settle in American communities, in violation of longstanding Federal laws.”
As reported by the American Immigration Council, what followed suit was an over 75% increase in detainees being held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities.
Prior to Trump taking office in his second term, there were an estimated 40,000 people held in ICE custody. As of Jan. 2026, there are an estimated 73,000 people held in detention centers. While the number of detainees has increased, the amount of discretionary releases from detention has fallen by 87%.
These facilities, many of which are at capacity, have brought up concerns around the health of detainees. March 4, ICE confirmed a measles outbreak in its largest facility in El Paso, Texas.
“[ICE] is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with public health authorities to ensure appropriate medical care and containment measures are in place — the health and safety of detainees, staff, and the community remain a top priority,” a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson said in a recent statement.
Publicly released in ICE’s mandatory Detainee Death Reporting, as of March 2026, 35 people have died while being held in ICE custody since Jan. 2025.
ICE has also been implicated in several fatal shootings of U.S. citizens. The Wall Street Journal has identified 13 instances of ICE agents firing at or into civilian vehicles since July 2025, two of which resulted in deaths.
The shooting deaths of U.S. citizens Renée Good, Ray Ruben Martinez, Alex Pretti, and Keith Porter at the hands of ICE agents sparked outrage about ICE’s use of lethal force on civilian populations.
ICE’s mobilization into these civilian communities was prompted by the former Secretary of DHS Kristi Noem’s attempts to detain and deport undocumented immigrants. Focusing on the metropolitan areas of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Operation Metro Surge (as referred to by Noem) resulted in the deaths of Good and Pretti.
In response, Jan. 23, tens of thousands organized in Minneapolis to protest Good’s death. Several celebrities, including Billie Eilish and Benito Oscasio (Bad Bunny), used their acceptance speeches to voice their dissent against ICE at the 68th Grammy Awards.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out. We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans,” said Oscasio.
Despite protests, ICE’s presence still remains a prevalent force nationwide.
