2,200 Arrests in 24 Hours: ICE Hits All-Time High in Immigration Detentions

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained more than 2,200 individuals on Tuesday, marking the highest number of migrant arrests in a single day in the agency's history, an agency spokesperson said.

A significant number of those arrested were enrolled in ICE's Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program, which monitors non-detained migrants through ankle monitors, smartphone tracking, or scheduled check-ins, as NBC News details. Several immigration attorneys reported that clients were summoned for unscheduled check-ins via mass texts and arrested upon arrival at ICE offices.

Margaret Cargioli of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, whose client was detained during a check-in, told the outlet that the man "went to every single [ICE] appointment" and was "very cooperative with all of the requirements that were made of him." The ICE spokesperson confirmed the arrests involved individuals with final orders of removal, though multiple attorneys claimed their clients had no such orders.

The increase in arrests follows a May 21 meeting at ICE headquarters in Washington, D.C., where White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller reportedly demanded the agency reach a daily target of 3,000 arrests. According to sources cited by NBC News, Miller used the meeting to threaten to fire 10% of ICE field office leaders with the lowest arrest counts. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem supported the expanded enforcement goals.

Shortly after the meeting, two senior ICE officials, including Enforcement and Removal Operations head Kenneth Genalo and Homeland Security Investigations chief Robert Hammer, stepped down or were reassigned. ICE subsequently launched "Operation At Large," deploying more than 5,000 agents from agencies including the FBI, DEA, IRS, and CBP.

Despite the administration's claims that arrests focus on individuals with criminal records, attorneys and advocates argue the tactics target compliant immigrants. "[With] mass arresting of people on Alternatives to Detention... the dragnet is so wide that there's no possible valid argument that these individuals are all dangerous," said Atenas Burrola Estrada of the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights to NBC News.

The operation continues as ICE reports more than 20,000 active ATD cases and an overall detention population nearing 49,000, surpassing congressional funding limits.