A new academic analysis reveals a profound change in US immigration policy during President Donald Trump's second term. According to data compiled by the University of California, Berkeley, arrests of immigrants in public spaces have increased more than elevenfold in the last year, representing an increase of over 1,000%. The report, prepared by the Deportation Data Project (DDP), documents that arrests made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are no longer concentrated primarily in jails or prisons, as was the case in previous years, but have expanded to streets, courts, and immigration offices. This phenomenon is described by researchers as "novel" due to its scale and scope. Changes in the Profile of Those Detained: The study also identifies a transformation in the profile of those detained. The likelihood of immigration authorities focusing their operations on individuals with criminal records has decreased considerably. In contrast, arrests of people without criminal records increased by 770% during the period analyzed. This shift is partly explained by the increase in operations in public spaces, where migrants without criminal records are more likely to be found. Meanwhile, transfers of people from jails and prisons, which previously constituted the majority of arrests, barely doubled. These figures contrast with the position of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has maintained that the majority of arrests are of individuals with criminal records. However, the researchers assert that their analysis is based on official data obtained directly from ICE through Freedom of Information Act requests. Fewer Releases and More Deportations Another key finding is the significant reduction in the release of detainees. During the previous administration,It used to be common for people without criminal records to be released within 60 days while their immigration processes continued. Now, that practice has become exceptional. The report notes that the likelihood of being released within that period has fallen to just 7%, while the rate of deportations carried out in less than two months has doubled, rising from 27% to 57%. This change has contributed to the total number of deportations increasing fivefold in the last year. Furthermore, the capacity of the detention system has expanded considerably. The federal government has more than quadrupled the number of beds available for people arrested within the country, allowing it to keep more migrants in custody for extended periods. Researchers warn that these conditions have led to a notable increase in voluntary departures, which have multiplied by 28. According to the report, many migrants choose to abandon their cases due to the difficulties of remaining detained while awaiting a court decision. Taken together, the data reflect a broader strategy: increasing the number of arrests, spreading them to more locations, and reducing the likelihood that detainees will remain in the country. Although the pace of operations has shown a slight slowdown in recent weeks, the study concludes that the overall trend of hardening immigration policy remains substantially unchanged.

Although the pace of operations showed a slight slowdown in recent weeks, the study concludes that the overall trend of hardening immigration policy remains substantially unchanged.