ICE Interior Arrests Triple Nationwide; Non-Criminal Targets Up 10x As California Operations Surge

Berkeley Law’s Deportation Data Project reports a sharp escalation in interior ICE enforcement since the inauguration: overall interior arrests have tripled, and arrests of people without criminal charges or convictions rose roughly tenfold. The data show a tactical shift from jail transfers to more community arrests—on streets, near schools, and at immigration courts—alongside policies expanding mandatory detention. California, especially SoCal, is a hotspot within this national surge.