U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has held detainees in facilities across the country, with numbers often fluctuating based on policy and enforcement priorities. During the Trump administration, ICE did significantly increase immigration arrests and detentions, leading to higher detainee populations. Around 2019 and early 2020, ICE detention numbers did approach or slightly exceed 50,000 detainees at times, with some reports indicating peaks near or above 59,000. This was close to or setting record highs historically for ICE detention. However, the exact figure of "around 59,000" detainees at one time is an approximate number and can vary depending on the source and date. Following the COVID-19 pandemic and policy changes, detainee numbers have fluctuated but the Trump administration was known for maintaining high detention levels compared to previous administrations.
Sources: Based on general knowledge and publicly available ICE detention statistics from 2018-2020.
