Department of Homeland Security officials reveal the Biden administration falsified immigration enforcement statistics by counting illegal immigrants who were caught and released rather than those actually detained and deported.
Key Insights
- Over two-thirds of ICE arrests recorded during the Biden administration were “enforcement theater” with no actual detention or deportation taking place.
- The Biden administration directed ICE to count “pass-through” arrests, where illegal immigrants were processed and immediately released back into communities.
- Under President Trump, ICE interior arrests have more than doubled from 234 per day under Biden to 632 per day, with 1,155 known gang members and 39 suspected terrorists arrested in just seven weeks.
- Border crossings have plummeted, with unauthorized migrants entering from Mexico dropping from over 60,000 in January to just 11,709 in February.
Inflated Arrest Numbers Hide Catch-and-Release Reality
The Biden administration manipulated Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrest statistics to create a false impression of enforcement success, according to multiple DHS officials. Senior officials reveal that what the administration counted as “arrests” were often just brief processing encounters where illegal immigrants were immediately released back into American communities without detention or deportation proceedings. This statistical sleight of hand allowed the previous administration to claim enforcement actions that never actually removed illegal immigrants from the country.
Todd Lyons, acting director at ICE, exposed the data manipulation, stating: “We found tens of thousands of cases that were recorded as arrests when, in fact, these instances were illegal aliens that were simply processed and released into American communities.” Analysis of the numbers shows that when “pass-through” arrests are removed from the statistics, President Trump’s administration has already achieved interior arrest numbers close to Biden’s entire 2024 total in just seven weeks of 2025.
BREAKING: Senior ICE and DHS officials just held a background call w/ reporters. Highlights below, per these officials:
Trump administration ICE interior arrests of illegal aliens inside the US has already surpassed all of Biden's ICE interior arrests in all of Fiscal Year 2024.…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) March 12, 2025
Real Enforcement Yields Tangible Results
The difference in approach is evident in the current administration’s enforcement metrics. Between January 20 and March 10, ICE recorded 32,809 interior arrests – a figure approaching the total for all of 2024 when excluding the misleading “pass-through” arrests. These arrests included 1,155 known or suspected gang members and 39 known or suspected terrorists, nearly triple the rate under the Biden administration. The focus on meaningful enforcement rather than statistical manipulation has directly impacted community safety.
“This gave them a pathway to establishing a long-term … residency here in the U.S.,” an official said.
The “pass-through” arrest system created under the previous administration provided illegal immigrants with documentation showing they were in a legal process, qualifying them for services and potentially aiding their long-term residency claims. This policy encouraged rather than deterred illegal immigration, effectively creating a backdoor pathway to remaining in the United States. ICE officials confirm the directive to count these interactions as arrests came directly from Biden’s Homeland Security Department leadership.
Border Crisis Shows Signs of Improvement
The enforcement-focused approach under President Trump has yielded immediate results at the border. Customs and Border Protection reports unauthorized migrant crossings from Mexico plummeted from over 60,000 in January to just 11,709 in February. The numbers of unaccompanied children and family units crossing illegally have also decreased significantly. ICE is currently operating at maximum capacity, holding 47,600 migrants in detention facilities nationwide.
“This victory at our borders makes the past four years even more of a tragedy,” said Rep. Mark Green.
Rep. Mark Green, reflecting on the improved border statistics, criticized the previous administration’s policies for their human cost. He specifically cited the deaths of Laken Riley and Kayla Hamilton as tragic consequences of the catch-and-release approach that allowed potentially dangerous individuals to remain in American communities. The current administration’s focus on actual detention and deportation represents a fundamental shift from policies that prioritized appearance over substance in immigration enforcement.
Sources:
- DHS: Biden admin was ‘cooking the books’ to pump up ICE arrests – Washington Times
- DHS: Biden admin was ‘cooking the books’ to pump up ICE arrests – Washington Times
