More than 800 immigrants in New York City have been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement since August in so-called "collateral" arrests, with 85% of those detained having no criminal history, according to newly obtained agency data analyzed by THE CITY.
The figures show that 811 people were arrested not as primary targets but because they were present during enforcement operations. These arrests accounted for roughly 24% of all ICE detentions in the city between August 2025 and March 10.
Overall, 76% of the 3,191 people arrested during that period had no criminal convictions or pending charges, according to the data obtained by the Deportation Data Project through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit
The findings published by THE CITY on Thursday contrast with repeated statements from the Department of Homeland Security that enforcement efforts focus on "the worst of the worst." A DHS spokesperson disputed the interpretation of the data, saying it "manipulates" the agency's priorities and emphasizing that many individuals arrested nationwide have criminal backgrounds or are wanted for serious offenses.
Advocates and attorneys say the data reflects a broader shift in enforcement tactics that has expanded beyond targeted arrests. "They are aimlessly, racially profiling people, but they're looking for anyone that they can detain," said Murad Awawdeh, president of the New York Immigration Coalition, to the news outlet.
Legal advocates have described these encounters as part of a "coordinated campaign of race-based stops" in immigrant neighborhoods, citing incidents in areas such as Corona, Bushwick and Washington Heights.
Attorneys say agents often approach individuals using photos to prompt engagement before shifting questions toward immigration status. Attorneys also say such tactics have become increasingly common, with agents conducting brief street stops that can quickly escalate into arrests.
In legal filings published back in November by THE CITY, lawyers representing detained immigrants said officers often use photos as a pretext to initiate contact. "They're just claiming to be looking for a person to get people to stop and engage with them," said Paige Austin of Make the Road New York.
Advocates also documented repeated enforcement activity in the same locations, with agents returning to specific intersections or neighborhoods multiple times over the course of days. In some cases, individuals were detained shortly after stepping outside their homes or while carrying out routine activities such as going to work or walking a dog.
The rise in such arrests follows a legal interpretation by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggesting that immigration agents may stop individuals based on suspicion tied to appearance or language, a position civil rights groups argue enables racial profiling.
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