The situation around US immigration policy has escalated once again. According to CBS, as of January 15 the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) is holding 73,000 migrants nationwide who may be deported. This is being recorded as the highest figure in the agency’s history.
CBS notes that for the first time in ICE’s 23-year history, the number of detainees has exceeded 70,000. It also says most of those held are single adults—about 67,000 people. The remaining roughly 6,000 are families with underage children.
The most debated aspect is the share of detainees linked to criminal cases. CBS reports that nearly 34,000 individuals are classified as either accused of crimes or previously convicted.
This added pressure is raising more questions about ICE’s capacity. Detaining such large numbers puts severe strain not only on legal procedures, but also on infrastructure, finances, and security.
There are also disputes over deportation statistics. Some official statements claimed that “more than 2.5 million” migrants were removed from the country last year, but independent analysts disagree on how the figure was calculated—some argue that “deportations” and “voluntary departures” may have been mixed together.
In short, the numbers are big—and the noise is even bigger. If the trend continues, immigration will clearly remain one of the hottest political battlegrounds in the US in 2026 as well.
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