President Donald Trump wasted no time in restoring law and order at the border, and the numbers prove it. Just two months into his administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests have already surpassed all of 2024, according to acting ICE Director Todd Lyons. But the real bombshell? Lyons says the Biden administration was “cooking the books” on immigration enforcement.
In a press briefing, Lyons exposed how the previous administration manipulated ICE data, falsely reporting tens of thousands of cases as “arrests” when in reality, these individuals were simply processed and released into American communities.
“They were purposely misleading the American people,” Lyons said. “What we are doing now is actual immigration enforcement, not enforcement theater.”
The Truth About Biden’s ICE “Arrests”
Under Biden, 113,431 “arrests” were recorded in FY 2024—but most were what ICE officials call “pass-through” arrests. That means these illegal immigrants were never actually detained or deported. Instead, they were told to check in with ICE later—a policy that almost no one followed.
By contrast, under Trump’s administration, every ICE arrest results in actual enforcement action. Since January 20th, ICE has made 32,809 interior arrests, nearly matching Biden’s entire year in just seven weeks. And here’s the kicker: 14,111 of those arrested were convicted criminals, while another 9,980 had pending criminal charges.
Perhaps most alarming? Over 1,150 suspected gang members have been arrested so far under Trump—more than double the number captured in the same period last year. That means under Biden, gang members were roaming free while his administration fudged the numbers to make it look like they were enforcing immigration law.
Trump’s Border Crackdown is Working
Trump’s immigration policy isn’t just about fixing the data—it’s about securing the border and removing criminals. His administration has:
Ended Biden’s mass parole programs
Deployed military resources to the border
Limited asylum loopholes
Cracked down on sanctuary cities
Launched new self-deportation initiatives through the CBP Home app
Lyons emphasized that ICE agents, after four years of being handcuffed by Biden’s policies, are finally empowered to do their jobs again. And it’s already having an effect—not just on arrests but on illegal crossings, which have plummeted since Trump’s policies went into effect.
While Democrats scramble to explain Biden’s fake enforcement numbers, Trump is delivering real results. America is back in control of its borders.