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Judges across the country have ruled more than 4,400 times since the start of October that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has illegally detained immigrants, according to a Reuters investigation published Saturday.

As President Donald Trump carries out his unprecedented “mass deportation” crusade, the number of people in ICE custody ballooned to 68,000 this month, up 75% from when he took office.

Midway through 2025, the administration had begun pushing for a daily quota of 3,000 arrests per day, with the goal of reaching 1 million per year. This has led to the targeting of mostly people with no criminal records rather than the “worst of the worst,” as the administration often claims.

Courts have ruled 4,400 times that ICE jailed people illegally. It hasn’t stopped. https://t.co/a5qRuwbRHP https://t.co/a5qRuwbRHP— Reuters (@Reuters) February 14, 2026

Courts have ruled 4,400 times that ICE jailed people illegally. It hasn’t stopped. https://t.co/a5qRuwbRHP........

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