NYC ICE Arrests Double, Data Shows

NEW YORK, NY — Immigration enforcement activity in New York City surged in 2025, with arrests and jail detainers reaching their highest levels in at least three years, according to a Patch analysis of ICE data compiled by the Deportation Data Project.

The trend surfaced again in Bushwick on Wednesday, where federal agents detained an unidentified man outside his apartment building near Bushwick Avenue, drawing neighbors into the street as the vehicle carrying him drove away.

Arrests in the New York City area more than doubled between September 2023 and mid-October 2025, rising from roughly 2,300 to more than 5,000. Year-over-year figures show arrests increased by about 58 percent in 2025 compared with the prior year, while detainers rose far more sharply, increasing by approximately 314 percent.

From late 2023 through 2024, monthly detainer activity generally ranged between 170 and 230. In early 2025, that figure jumped to between 850 and 1,215 per month, peaking at 1,307 in May.

During the summer of 2025, Queens led the city in detainer activity, recording more than 300 in both July and August. Brooklyn and Manhattan also saw substantial increases, while the Bronx experienced a more moderate rise and Staten Island remained comparatively low.

Arrest data show that individuals from Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Honduras, Mexico, and several Caribbean and Asian nations were among those most frequently apprehended over the three-year period.

According to ICE’s own classifications, “other immigration violators,” defined as individuals with no known criminal convictions or pending charges at the time of apprehension, accounted for roughly 70 percent of arrests in New York City, representing the majority in most years.

Federal officials have defended the agency’s role, arguing that ICE is legally required to enforce immigration law and prioritize individuals deemed threats to public safety. In agency guidance, ICE describes detainers as a tool used to “protect the public” and states that enforcement actions are conducted in accordance with federal law.

City officials have responded with renewed emphasis on sanctuary policies.

At his first Interfaith Breakfast on Feb. 9, Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an executive order reaffirming New York City’s sanctuary city laws.

The order restricts federal immigration enforcement activity on city property, strengthens protections for residents’ personal data, directs an audit of agency compliance with sanctuary laws and establishes a committee to coordinate city responses to escalated federal actions.

The administration also distributed nearly 32,000 “Know Your Rights” guides in 10 languages through faith leaders across the five boroughs. The materials outline the right to remain silent, the right to consult an attorney and the right to request a translator during encounters with federal immigration authorities.

“Across this country, day after day, we bear witness to cruelty that staggers the conscience. Masked agents, paid by our own tax dollars, violate the Constitution and visit terror upon our neighbors,” Mamdani said.

Patch has contacted the Department of Homeland Security for comment but has not yet received a response.