U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement: Guide to ICE

ICE enforcement creates genuine anxiety in neighborhoods — and the agency wields far more power than most residents realize. This guide breaks down what ICE actually does, who it targets, and what protections even longtime legal residents have when agents come calling.

Parent Agency: Department of Homeland Security · Mission Focus: Protect America from cross-border crime and illegal immigration · Contact Phone: (866) 347-2423 · Official Site: www.ice.gov · Deportation Data Source: Statista

The key facts below establish ICE’s organizational basics and current operational scope.

How long can ICE hold you?

The maximum time ICE can hold someone depends partly on where they are in the removal process, and the rules have shifted significantly in 2025. Under the Laken-Riley Act, signed January 29, 2025, certain noncitizens charged with specific offenses must be detained — there’s no option to release on bond while proceedings continue. The law covers offenses including burglary, theft, assault on an officer, and crimes causing serious injury.

Before Deportation

Historically, ICE detention has a ceiling tied to funding. As of early 2025, the agency was funded for 41,500 detention beds — a figure that sounds high until you consider actual populations. By mid-December 2025, ICE held 68,440 people, a 78% jump from the same period in 2024, according to the Project On Government Oversight. Detention numbers have exceeded 2019 peaks since mid-June 2025.

The practical timeline varies. Interior deportations averaged 38,000 per year in fiscal years 2021-2024, down sharply from 155,000 annually during 2009-2016, according to the Migration Policy Institute. For anyone caught in the system now, the combination of mandatory detention rules and crowded facilities means wait times can stretch longer than many expect.

The Detained Parents Directive, issued July 2, 2025, further complicated matters by weakening 2022 protections that had required ICE to facilitate family unity. The Women’s Refugee Commission notes this directive “dramatically reduces ICE’s obligations to facilitate family unity” for detained parents and legal guardians of minor children.

Is ICE deporting green card holders?

Yes, though it’s not automatic. Green card holders (lawful permanent residents, or LPRs) can be detained and placed in removal proceedings under specific circumstances. According to Quijano Law, an immigration law firm, grounds for detention include criminal convictions, prior arrests, border reentry issues, or immigration fraud found post-approval.

What Is Happening and What to Do

The key point many green card holders miss: detention does not automatically mean deportation, nor does it automatically result in green card revocation. A criminal conviction triggers scrutiny, but the outcome depends on the type of offense, when it occurred, and whether the person has relief available.

Crimes that create the highest risk include aggravated felonies, crimes of moral turpitude, drug offenses, and domestic violence — even if the criminal case resulted in probation, a fine, or a short jail term years ago. Old convictions can still carry immigration consequences for permanent residents.

Travel abroad adds another layer of risk. When a green card holder leaves and re-enters the United States, CBP officers conduct fresh inspections at the border. Issues discovered at that point — including convictions not previously flagged — can result in an ICE referral.

Interior arrest patterns show that green card holders with DUI, firearm possession, drug possession, theft, or violent crime convictions are targeted for enforcement, according to Migration Policy Institute data. In fiscal years 2021-2024, 79% of ICE interior deportations involved people with criminal convictions.

Does ICE exist anymore?

ICE absolutely still exists and remains one of the largest federal law enforcement agencies. The confusion sometimes arises because enforcement priorities and capacity have shifted dramatically over different administrations — and because the agency’s detention numbers fluctuate with policy changes.

Who We Are

The agency’s own “Who We Are” page states it operates under the Department of Homeland Security with two main sub-directorates: Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). ICE’s fiscal year 2024 budget was $9.1 billion with 21,000 personnel, of which 7,700 were assigned to enforcement and removal operations, according to Migration Policy Institute data.

What has changed is the scope. Interior deportations dropped from an average of 155,000 per year during fiscal years 2009-2016 to roughly 38,000 per year in fiscal years 2021-2024 — a 75% decline in interior enforcement, even as border removals surged. ICE issued 224,000 border deportations in fiscal year 2024 alone, a record, as resources shifted away from interior enforcement.

The agency now holds significantly more people in detention than it did a year ago. As of April 4, 2026, ICE held 60,311 people in detention, according to TRAC Reports. Mid-December 2025 saw an even higher peak of 68,440 — a 78% increase from mid-December 2024.

How does ICE know who is illegal?

Immigration enforcement agencies build cases through multiple channels: criminal databases, traffic stops, jail pickups, audits of employer records, and tips from the public. The process isn’t as simple as “immigration status flagged at a traffic stop” — though that does happen.

ICE Ruses

The Immigrant Defense Project and advocacy organizations have documented tactics that ICE uses to gain access to people without proper documentation. These include posing as police, claiming to be conducting a “welfare check,” using doorbell knocks, and relying on information shared by local law enforcement through 287(g) agreements.

A key tool is the Secure Communities program, which cross-checks fingerprints against Department of Homeland Security databases. When someone is arrested and booked into a local jail, their fingerprints are automatically checked. If a match surfaces indicating removable status, ICE can issue a detainer request to the local facility — asking jail staff to hold the person for up to 48 hours beyond their release date so federal agents can take custody.

Not all jurisdictions honor ICE detainers. Sanctuary cities and states that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement have pushed back against these requests. When local governments refuse to hold people beyond their release date, ICE must either locate the person in the community or miss the opportunity entirely.

What nationality is ICE deporting the most?

ICE doesn’t break out deportation statistics by nationality for green card holders specifically, but overall removal data shows clear patterns. Most interior removals target people from Mexico and the northern Central American countries — Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador — which together account for the bulk of deportations.

Deportation Statistics

The broader deportation picture is striking. DHS averaged 352,000 deportations per year in fiscal years 2020-2024, with ICE responsible for 146,000 of those. In fiscal year 2024, ICE removals and returns went to 192 countries — likely a record, according to Migration Policy Institute analysis.

In December 2024, ICE released a list of 15 “recalcitrant” countries — nations that refuse to accept returned nationals — including China, Cuba, India, and Venezuela. When a country won’t cooperate on repatriation, ICE’s ability to remove people from that country becomes significantly harder, creating backlogs.

The 15 recalcitrant countries on that list represent a growing challenge. When Homeland Security cannot return someone to their home country, that person may remain in detention longer or be released into the United States while the diplomatic standoff continues.

ICE detention does not automatically mean deportation. — Quijano Law (Immigration Law Firm)

As of mid-December 2025, there were 68,440 people being held in detention by ICE, a 78% increase from the number detained in mid-December 2024. — POGO (Investigative Group)

The trajectory under the second Trump administration has been unmistakable: detention populations that exceeded 2019 peaks by mid-2025, a 78% jump in the detention census by December 2025, and mandatory detention rules that leave less room for judges to exercise discretion. For green card holders, the stakes are particularly personal — permanent residency doesn’t create immunity, but it does create a legal standing that deserves protection. Know your rights before you open the door.