The first months of Donald Trump's second term have revealed a profound shift in US immigration detention policy. Contrary to what the administration promised, those primarily targeted by ICE within the Latino community are not dangerous criminals but rather... people without a criminal record.
This is documented by a new analysis from the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge that compares the number of Latinos detained by ICE during the first eight months of the new Trump administration (February–September 2025) with the same period in the last year of the Biden administration (February–September 2024).
“Much has been said about the immigration detentionsBut little is said about the percentage of the Latino community represented in the statistics. These figures reveal a shift from the traditional focus to people without criminal convictions, many of whom have strong ties to the community through work and family,” noted immigration attorney Héctor Quiroga, one of the report's disseminators.
The data shows not only more arrests and detentions, but also longer stays and a significant increase in the deportations.
Six times more arrests
During the comparative period of 2024, under the Biden administration, an average of 900 Latinos without criminal records entered the system each month. ICE detention centers.
In the same period of 2025, under Trump, the monthly average rose to approximately 6,000 people. In September 2025, the figure reached almost 10,500 new admissions in a single month.
Monthly average of Latinos without criminal records who entered detention
| Period | Average monthly income |
| Feb–Sep 2024 (Biden) | ~ 900 |
| Feb–Sep 2025 (Trump) | ~ 6,000 |
| September 2025 | ~ 10,500 |
The report also notes that, while in 2024 releases from detention exceeded admissions —which reduced the detained population— in 2025 the opposite occurred: more people entered than were released.
By mid-September 2025, there were 11,500 Latinos with no prior criminal record in custody. A month later, the number had risen to over 13,700.
Most are working-age adults
El growth in Latinos detained by immigration It was mainly concentrated on people between 18 and 54 years old, that is, of working age.
Between February and September:
- The 18-34 age group grew almost seven times.
- The 35-54 age group grew more than nine times.
- The number of Latino men arrested of working age rose from 3,500 under Biden to more than 38,700 under Trump.
The proportion of men arrested increased markedly. Under Biden, they represented 51% of Latino detainees without prior records. Under Trump, that figure rose to 80%.
Meanwhile, although the absolute number of Latina women detained nearly tripled (from approximately 2,500 to 7,300), their proportion within the total fell from 37% to 16%, due to the much larger growth in the detention of men.
Related: 99% of people in deportation proceedings do not face criminal charges
Mexicans, Guatemalans and Venezuelans: the strongest increases
The detainees with no prior record came from 19 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, but five accounted for about three-quarters of the total: Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela and Ecuador.
Latinos arrested without criminal record by country (Feb–Sep)
| Country | Biden 2024 | Trump 2025 | Approximate increase |
| Mexico | ~ 1,500 | ~ 13,300 | ~8 times |
| Guatemala | <1,000 | ~ 8,600 | ~8 times |
| Honduras | ~ 700 | ~ 6,000 | ~8–9 times |
| Venezuela | <400 | > 5,600 | ~14 times |
| Ecuador | ~ 1,100 | ~ 2,800 | ~2–3 times |
The most drastic case is that of Venezuelans, whose number increased fourteen times in one year.
More time detained
The report documents that not only did arrests increase, but also their duration.
During the Trump administration, nearly 7 out of 10 Latinos with no criminal record were detained for 15 days or more. Under Biden, the figure was much lower: only 4 out of 10 remained incarcerated for that long.
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Almost 9 out of 10 ended up being deported
The most marked difference appears in how the arrests end.
Under Biden, 42% were temporarily released into the community and 57% were deported.
Under Trump, only 9% were temporarily released, while 88% were deported.
Detention exit method
| Result | Biden 2024 | Trump 2025 |
| Released to the community | 42% | 9% |
| deported | 57% | 88% |
In absolute numbers, deportations of Latinos without criminal records went from less than 3,900 to almost 34,400 in the period compared.
Report UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge
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