The number of migrants detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hit an all-time high in June 2025, with over 60,000 people held in custody—many of them without criminal records—according to an analysis by AFP of official ICE data.
This marks a sharp increase from January 2024, when about 40,500 people were detained. Notably, 71% of those detained in June had no criminal background, a rise from 54% in the previous year.
The spike comes amid President Donald Trump’s aggressive push to carry out what he pledged would be the largest deportation campaign in U.S. history. His administration has sharply expanded ICE’s reach, targeting the nation’s estimated 11 million undocumented migrants.
Backed by a $45 billion budget—ICE’s largest ever—the agency is rapidly scaling up its detention network. The number of detention facilities grew from 107 in January 2024 to 200 by June 2025, with the administration aiming to double bed capacity to 100,000 by year’s end.
Among the most controversial developments is a new detention camp dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” opened July 1 on a former airfield in the Florida Everglades. The site is surrounded by alligator-infested swamps, raising alarms among rights groups and immigrant advocates.
Meanwhile, Trump has floated the idea of turning the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay into a 30,000-bed migrant holding center, although this has not yet materialized. Current data indicates that only 22 detainees are held at Guantanamo’s two facilities on an average day.
Non-government organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have sounded the alarm about poor conditions in detention centers. A recent report highlighted degrading treatment in three Florida sites, where migrants were found sleeping on floors and women detained in cells with exposed toilets.
As ICE detention expands, so do the profits of private prison companies. The AFP report reveals that more than 80% of detainees are held in privately-run facilities, dominated by two companies: GEO Group and CoreCivic.
GEO Group, which has signed multiple new contracts with ICE since January and invested $70 million to grow its operations, expects to make $153 million more annually from recent deals. Stocks for both GEO Group and CoreCivic surged after Trump’s reelection, with gains of 75% and 69% respectively, reaching five-year highs.
These firms have also poured millions into political contributions. GEO Group donated over $3.6 million to Republicans in 2024, including $1 million to a pro-Trump PAC. CoreCivic followed with nearly $785,000, largely to GOP candidates. Several top executives from both companies also made individual contributions to Trump’s campaign.
