New data spotlights Biden’s immigration crisis, limits of gutted enforcement efforts

WASHINGTON D.C. – The National Immigration Center for Enforcement (NICE) has released new data exposing the severe limitations of current immigration enforcement efforts.

According to the findings, nearly 99% of the 18.6 million illegal aliens in the U.S. remain free to roam, even 120 days into the Trump administration.

Despite a 21% increase in ICE detainees, only 1.26% of this population—49,005 in detention facilities and 184,899 under electronic monitoring—are currently detained or tracked. Even quadrupling ICE detention beds to 200,000 through the reconciliation bill would only increase this to 2.1%, leaving 98% of illegal aliens unaccounted for. The reconciliation bill, however, only allocates for 100,000 beds, a figure that falls significantly short of addressing the scale of the issue.

Furthermore, the funding provided is approximately $30 billion below the $110 billion ICE could have received—a baseline that should have been a floor, not a ceiling, for the tackling of a decades-long challenge demanded by the American people.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons has been relentless in his efforts atop an agency that was being abolished from within, maximizing limited resources to enforce the law again. While 600,000 criminal aliens remain at large and must be addressed, enforcement cannot solely focus on this group, even if leaders above Lyons see political capital in the moment. The total illegal population includes 1.4 million with final orders of removal, and around 8 million in the non-detained docket. Prioritizing those with final orders alongside criminal aliens establishes a necessary 2 million mass deportation floor to begin addressing this crisis.

NICE President RJ Hauman stated, “The reconciliation bill’s allocation of 100,000 detention beds represents a historic investment, yet it fails to address the scale of an illegal allied population estimated near or over 20 million. I remind lawmakers and White House officials that the top two priorities on President Trump’s Agenda47 platform were securing the border and mass deportation, with tax cuts ranked sixth. The border is now secure, but mass deportation remains a significant challenge. Given a clear electoral mandate, it is incumbent upon those in power—from Capitol Hill to DHS headquarters—to intensify their efforts, or voters will be angry, and illegal aliens will continue to roam en masse.”

NICE board member and president of the Oversight Project, Mike Howell, added, “The goal, the promise, and the mandate from President Trump was mass deportations on a scale larger than that of Eisenhower. We cannot prioritize only criminals, as it narrows the scope of our enforcement efforts and could lead us to a point of no return. We must address the full population, not just a fraction.”

The assembled data, sourced from ICE FY 2025 statistics and our friends at the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), underscores the urgent need for increased resources and a more comprehensive enforcement strategy. NICE calls on Congress and the administration to prioritize the scale of this crisis in alignment with a clear mass deportation mandate delivered by the American people.

About NICE

The National Immigration Center for Enforcement (NICE) is dedicated to advocating for robust immigration enforcement policies that prioritize the safety and security of American communities.