The Difference a New Administration Makes: Immigration Arrests Spike Under Trump

WASHINGTON -- ICE Enforcement and Removal Operation officers are making more than 400 arrests per day now that they are no longer shackled by restrictions under the Obama administration.

"These statistics reflect President Trump's commitment to enforce our immigration laws fairly and across the board," Thomas Homan, acting director of ICE, said.

Arrests of criminal aliens are up nearly 20 percent, reaching 30,473, while arrests of aliens at large in the community have increased by more than 50 percent, from 8,381 last year to 12,766 this year.

Violent crimes such as homicide, rape, kidnapping and assault accounted for more than 2,700 convictions. ICE officials say the main focus is arresting these criminals and keeping Americans safe.

While criminals are still the targets, ICE said it has reversed the previous administration's policy, expanding the potential target from a couple million to an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants now in the United States.

Homan says, "We are a nation of laws, and ignoring orders issued by federal judges undermines our constitutional government."