Thousands of Children Arrested by ICE in the US: Alarming Figures
Posted on 10/15/26 at 12:00
Thousands of minors were caught up in the US immigration system during Donald Trump’s second term, according to data analyzed by The Marshall Project. Between January 1, 2025, and August 8, 2026, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 8,592 children, according to the investigation.
The analysis used government records from the Deportation Data Project, with participation from researchers at the University of Berkeley and the University of Los Angeles. The figures show the scope of child detentions and raise questions about family protection, child welfare, and the consequences of immigration policies.
ICE Arrested 8,592 Children in the US: The Figures
More than 8,500 children were arrested by ICE in Donald Trump’s immigration raids, according to a report by The Marshall Project.
https://t.co/F3iinBwYJO— N+ UNIVISION (@nmasunivision) October 14, 2026
The report counted 8,755 minors in immigration custody, including 562 babies and young children, a figure that highlights the vulnerability of the affected population. During the analyzed period, an average of 198 children remained detained daily, according to the data cited in the investigation.
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The impact is also reflected in the releases from detention centers: according to the figures provided, 54% of minor releases ended with the child’s deportation. Additionally, the mentioned records report 22,565 minors deported by the federal government, including 1,460 who were expelled from within the United States.
California, Texas, and New York Concentrate Child Arrests
ICE has arrested twice as many children this year compared to 2025. Many of them have been held in places where neither their lawyers nor their relatives could find them, such as hotels and detention rooms in office buildings https://t.co/RdpaYztBfd
— EL PAÍS (@el_pais) October 14, 2026
California led the state list with 1,635 minor arrests, followed by Texas with 1,477, and New York with 1,336 documented cases. Florida ranked fourth with 802 arrests; together, the four states accounted for 5,250 cases, more than 61% of the total registered in the investigation.
Other states also reported significant figures: Massachusetts counted 570 arrests, Washington registered 451, and Illinois reached 341 during the studied period. Arizona accumulated 284 cases, while Georgia and New Jersey each reported 191: evidence that these detentions extended across different regions of the country.
What Does the Increase in Immigration Pressure Mean for Families?
Child detentions can disrupt family stability, interrupt education, and generate uncertainty about the children’s permanence with their parents. The figures should be interpreted within their specific period and with attention to the differences between arrests, custody, and deportations, which represent distinct categories.
Why it matters
- Thousands of minors face immigration detention.
- Families may suffer prolonged separations.
- Babies are also included in the records.