Who has been arrested by ICE under Trump?
That promise, opinion polls suggested, proved broadly popular with the American people, including with legal immigrants, who felt that too many people were coming into the country the "wrong way".
Since taking office, the president has widened the scope of his mission, targeting not just criminals, but migrant workers, some student activists and even tourists with visa issues.
For almost five months, these moves met little resistance. But now parts of Los Angeles have erupted in protests after immigrations officers intensified their raids at workplaces.
But who are the migrants caught up in these raids? And who else has the administration targeted?
Here's a look at some of the people who have already been targeted.
Since assuming office, the president has touted plummeting numbers of border crossings and record arrests under his administration.
About 51,000 undocumented migrants were in Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention as of early June - the highest on record since September 2019.
While accurate and up-to-date figures for the total number of immigration detentions since 20 January are not publicly available, White House officials have said they hope ICE can scale up to 3,000 arrests a day, from 660 or so during the first 100 days of Trump's presidency.
Initially, US officials insisted that the operations were "targeted" at criminals and potential public safety threats.
But a significant number of undocumented migrants detained by the Trump administration have otherwise clean records, according to one data tracker.
The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse - a project from Syracuse University that compiles immigration figures - estimates that of the 51,302 people in ICE detention facilities as of 1 June, about 44% had no criminal record aside from entering the US without permission.
The unrest in Los Angeles was sparked by a series of immigration arrests that netted a total of 118 people, which the Department of Homeland Security said included five gang members.
ICE has characterised those arrested in LA as "the worst of the worst". The agency identified a handful of people with criminal histories, including drug trafficking, assault, cruelty to children, domestic violence, robbery and alien smuggling.
How many of the total have criminal histories, however, is unclear.
The parents of a 23-year-old undocumented migrant, a member of Mexico's indigenous Zapotec community, told the Washington Post their son, who they said has no criminal history, was detained outside a clothing store. The BBC cannot independently confirm the details of this case.
Border tsar Tom Homan has justified these arrests as "collateral" damage, arguing that agents cannot legally justify encountering undocumented immigrants and not detaining them.
Marco Rubio says US revoked at least 300 foreign students' visas
Trump revoking protections for Cubans, Haitians and other migrants
US deports more alleged gang members to El Salvador
There have been several instances of tourists being arrested and held in detention centres, including British, European and Canadian citizens.
In April, for example, a 28-year-old Welsh tourist was held for 19 days in an ICE processing centre in Washington state after being denied entry to Canada over what she later termed a "visa mix-up".
In another more recent incident in June, 25-year-old Italian citizen Khaby Lame - the world's most popular TikTok star with 162m followers - was detained at Las Vegas' airport for "immigration violations".
ICE alleged that Mr Lame overstayed the terms of his visa after having entered the country on 30 April. Authorities later said he was granted "voluntary departure" and left the country.
Additionally, in March, Canadian actress Jasmine Mooney was held for nearly two weeks after being detained at the San Ysidro border crossing, where she was attempting to renew her visa to enter the US.
She later described the conditions of her detention as inhumane, and described being kept in a concrete cell with no blanket and limited access to a bathroom. She was later released without being charged with any crime.
Her case caught the attention of British Columbia Premier David Eby, who said the incident further inflamed Canadian anxieties about travelling to the US.
"The nature of our relationship is so fraught right now that this case makes us all wonder, what about our relatives who are working in the States?" he said in a statement to CBC.
Others, like 34-year-old German national Fabian Schmidt, were held at airports.
Schmidt, who had lived in the US since 2007, was detained on his way into the US from Luxembourg.
In an interview with WGBH, a New Hampshire news outlet, Mr Schmidt said he was asked about a drug misdemeanour charge that was later dismissed and a later DUI that resulted in fines and probation.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has largely avoided commenting on specific cases, but has repeatedly insisted it is operating lawfully.
Some of the most striking images of the Trump administration's immigration overhaul have come from thousands of miles away, in the Central American nation of El Salvador. There, over 250 people who the government claims are members of the gang Tren de Aragua have been transferred to a mega-prison.
Family members of some of those men, however, have disputed any gang ties, with some arguing that they were swept up as a result of innocent tattoos.
Dubbed "alien enemies", they were removed under a 1798 act that gives authorities sweeping powers to order the detention and deportation of natives or citizens of an "enemy" nation.
"It is really disheartening," Adalys Ferro, the executive director of the Venezuelan-American Caucus, an advocacy group, told the BBC. "All of these decisions are inhumane, cruel and also illegal."
The most high-profile case is that of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old from El Salvador and Maryland resident who was deported from the US in March.
Various judges - including those on the US Supreme Court - have ruled that Mr Abrego Garcia was deported in error and that the government should "facilitate" his return to the US and his family.
On 6 June, he was returned to the US to face federal criminal charges after being charged in an indictment alleging he illegally transported undocumented migrants while still in the US.
Foreign nationals who participate in political protests have also found themselves in the administration's crosshairs, despite some having permanent residency or valid student visas in the US.
Anthony Enriquez, who leads advocacy efforts at Robert F Kennedy Human Rights, a non-profit human rights organisation, told the BBC that there have been "more and more" green card holders detained since Trump returned to office.
"Immigration authorities feel empowered to conduct arrests that they're legally not allowed to do," he said.
Although the reasons for the decisions vary, over 1,600 international students have had their visas revoked, according to Nafsa, an organisation that focuses on international education.
Many of the arrests follow the White House's crackdown on what it has classified as antisemitism on US campuses, including the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent figure during Gaza war protests at Columbia University last year.
The 30-year-old green card holder has been fighting to stop his deportation in court.
Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk also spent six weeks in custody before being released.
The university later said that it had been told that Ms Ozturk - a doctorate candidate who participated in pro-Palestinian protests - had had her student visa revoked. She continues to fight her deportation in court.
While these cases have been subject to fierce criticism, ICE has justified some of the arrests by saying that the students participated in activities "aligned" to Hamas.
"A visa is a privilege not a right," US Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a post on X.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Senate passes Trump's major policy bill with $150 billion for the DOD
The Senate passed a massive party-line spending package Tuesday, including a one-time surge in defense spending the Pentagon is counting on for its upcoming fiscal year 2026 budget. By a vote of 51-50 — with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie — the chamber advanced the vast tax, healthcare and border security bill President Donald Trump has championed as key to his legislative agenda. That 940-page 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' also features $150 billion in funding for the military, which would go toward shipbuilding, the Golden Dome homeland missile defense project, munitions and other key priorities. The bill next goes back to the House for final consideration. Trump has set a deadline of July 4 to pass the spending package out of that chamber, though some lawmakers in the House have already said they're unlikely to approve the bill before the end of the week. The Pentagon has argued this package should be counted as part of the DOD's overall defense budget plan for the coming year, and defense officials moved spending priorities usually reserved for its base spending plan into the one-time package. In its delayed spending request last week, the Defense Department issued an $848 million base budget request, which is a cut when accounting for inflation. That said, the Pentagon is counting on $113 billion in immediate funding from the supplemental spending bill in Congress, bringing the total for military spending closer to $960 billion. Still, many top Republicans and Democrats in Congress have argued that the unusual arrangement will cause unnecessary confusion for the Pentagon and the defense industry responsible for major weapons programs. In a briefing to describe the funding request, senior defense and military officials countered this argument, saying the immediate surge in funding may reassure some of these companies, which are accustomed to Congress starting the fiscal year on temporary spending plans known as continuing resolutions. One official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the administration would likely keep military funding close to $1 trillion for next year as well, though it hasn't yet decided on an appropriate baseline. If not, the Defense Department will face extremely difficult choices when deciding how to factor the priorities included in the one-time spending package back into its yearly budget.


Time Magazine
26 minutes ago
- Time Magazine
Trump's ‘Big Beautiful Bill' Threatens Planned Parenthood Funds
The funding Planned Parenthood receives for a variety of reproductive and preventive care services through Medicaid is under threat after the Supreme Court and Senate Parliamentarian both greenlit Republican efforts to strip the women's health organization of funds. The Senate version of President Donald Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' narrowly passed on Tuesday with a provision included that would prohibit federal Medicaid funding for any health care services provided by Planned Parenthood for one year, after Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough allowed the cuts to remain in the legislation. The provision initially sought to 'defund' Planned Parenthood for 10 years, but the timing was reduced to one year prior to MacDonough's ruling. The sweeping tax and spending package now returns to the House. The bill's Senate passage comes just days after the Supreme Court ruled that states can prohibit Medicaid funding for any health care services provided by Planned Parenthood, in a case stemming from a 2018 order by South Carolina Republican Gov. Henry McMaster that barred any clinic offering abortion services from the state's Medicaid program. Read More: South Carolina Wants to End Medicaid for Planned Parenthood The decisions are major victories for Republican lawmakers in their decades-long effort to strip Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider, of government funding. The Hyde Amendment already bars federal dollars from being used for abortion. Medicaid—the state-federal program that provides health insurance coverage for more than 70 million people from low-income households—doesn't cover abortions, with very limited exceptions. But Medicaid covers other, non-abortion health care services that Planned Parenthood clinics provide, and many of the patients who visit the organization's locations are Medicaid recipients. Anti-abortion groups praised the Supreme Court's decision; Katie Daniel, director of legal affairs and policy counsel for the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said in a statement that the decision 'saves countless unborn babies from a violent death.' But Planned Parenthood, abortion-rights advocates, and health care providers condemned the court's ruling. Planned Parenthood has said that barring Medicaid coverage for the number of other health care services its clinics provide—such as birth control, STI testing and treatment, and cancer screenings—could lead to many patients not getting the health care they need. 'The Supreme Court once again sided with politicians who believe they know better than you, who want to block you from seeing your trusted health care provider and making your own health care decisions,' Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement. 'Patients need access to birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and more. And right now, lawmakers in Congress are trying to 'defund' Planned Parenthood as part of their long-term goal to shut down Planned Parenthood and ban abortion nationwide.' The provision targeting Planned Parenthood in Trump's tax and spending package would cost taxpayers an additional $52 million over 10 years, according to an estimate from the Congressional Budget Office. Planned Parenthood has said that if it is 'defunded,' nearly 200 health centers in 24 states would be at risk of closing and more than 1.1 million patients could lose access to their health care. Lawmakers and anti-abortion groups that have pushed to 'defund' Planned Parenthood have argued that patients can turn to federally qualified health centers instead of the women's health organization. But a recent report from the Guttmacher Institute, which researches and supports sexual and reproductive health and rights, concluded that federally qualified health centers wouldn't be able to readily replace Planned Parenthood's provider network. Abortion-rights advocates sounded the alarm on Tuesday, after the tax and spending package cleared the Senate with the provision targeting Planned Parenthood. 'If this bill passes, it will be the most devastating blow to women's health and bodily autonomy since the overturning of Roe,' Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement. 'What we are seeing is a full-scale attack against the complete range of care that these clinics provide—abortion care, yes, but also so much more.' 'If this bill passes, many people will have nowhere else affordable to go for these services,' Northup continued. 'The U.S. health care system is already stretched thin—the majority in Congress should not be further limiting where people can get health care. Patients should have the freedom to pick their health care provider.'

Associated Press
26 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Justice Department says 2 Chinese nationals charged with spying inside the US for Beijing
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two Chinese nationals have been charged with spying inside the United States on behalf of Beijing, including by taking photographs of a naval base, coordinating a cash dead-drop and by participating in efforts to recruit members of the military who they thought might be open to working for Chinese intelligence. The case, filed in federal court in San Francisco and unsealed Monday, is the latest Justice Department prosecution to target what officials say are active efforts by the Chinese government to secretly collect intelligence about American military capabilities — a practice laid bare in startling fashion two years ago with China's launching of a surveillance balloon that U.S. officials ultimately shot down over the coast of South Carolina. 'This case underscores the Chinese government's sustained and aggressive effort to infiltrate our military and undermine our national security from within,' Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement announcing the case. 'The Justice Department will not stand by while hostile nations embed spies in our country – we will expose foreign operatives, hold their agents to account, and protect the American people from covert threats to our national security.' Officials identified the defendants as Yuance Chen, 38, who arrived in the U.S. on a visa in 2015 and later became a lawful permanent resident, and Liren 'Ryan' Lai, 39, who prosecutors say lives in China but came to Texas this past spring as part of an effort to supervise clandestine espionage operations on behalf of China's Ministry of State Security or MSS. The two were arrested on charges of secretly doing China's bidding without registering as foreign agents with the Justice Department, as required by law. It was not immediately clear if they had lawyers. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately return a message seeking comment Tuesday. According to an FBI affidavit filed in connection with the case, investigators believe Lai had been developing Chen to be a Chinese intelligence asset since at least mid-2021. Their activities, the FBI says, included coordinating on a dead-drop of at least $10,000 in cash to another person operating at the direction of the MSS. They also conducted surveillance of a Navy recruiting station in California and Navy base in Washington state, including through photographs and videos that investigators believe were sent to Chinese intelligence. Authorities say Lai and Chen also discussed recruiting Navy employees to work for China, with Chen obtaining during a tour of a Navy installation photographs of names and hometowns of recent recruits. Many listed China as their hometown and investigators believe the information was sent to China, the FBI affidavit says. The case is one in a series of prosecutions concerning Chinese intelligence-gathering, including concerning the military. Last year, for instance, the Justice Department charged five Chinese nationals with lying and trying to cover their tracks, more than a year after they were confronted in the dark near a remote Michigan military site where thousands of people had gathered for summer drills. And in 2023, two Navy sailors were charged with providing sensitive military information to China, including details on wartime exercises, naval operations and critical technical material.