August 2, 2025 — The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) has expressed concern over the latest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention statistics, highlighting significant shifts in enforcement patterns and the continued lack of transparency surrounding detention facilities.
NAPA Executive Director Satnam Singh Chahal, reacting to ICE’s latest data, noted that the average number of daily arrests has decreased while removals have simultaneously increased. “ICE reported making an average of 990 daily initial book-ins through the first 26 days of July 2025, marking a 19 percent drop from the daily average of 1,224 arrests recorded in June 2025,” Chahal stated. “While the total number of individuals currently detained stands at 56,945 — a slight decline from 57,861 a month earlier — the agency has ramped up deportations, averaging 84 more removals per day compared to June.”
Chahal emphasized that although ICE appears to have corrected some previously published erroneous facility-level statistics, the detention data remains incomplete. “One glaring omission is ICE’s continued failure to include its new Florida facility in the Everglades,” Chahal pointed out. “Moreover, ICE does not publicly disclose the number of individuals detained in each facility, nor the contractual capacity of these centers. This lack of transparency obstructs public oversight and accountability, leaving unanswered questions about the true scale of ICE’s detention operations.”
The NAPA executive criticized ICE’s method of listing facilities only if they have a population count of one or more at the time of data retrieval, calling it a “tactic that obscures the agency’s actual detention infrastructure.” He noted that while ICE listed 179 active detention facilities in its latest release, this is a sharp decline from the 201 facilities reported at the end of June — a discrepancy that raises further concerns over ICE’s opaque reporting practices.
Chahal also addressed ICE’s Alternatives-to-Detention (ATD) program, observing a gradual decline in enrollment. “The number of individuals monitored under ATD has dropped slightly from 185,824 in May to 182,799 as of July 26,” Chahal said. “However, ICE’s shift in strategy towards increasing the use of ankle monitors is evident. The number of individuals assigned to ankle monitors has surged to 25,670 at the end of July, compared to 21,569 in May.”
According to ICE’s latest update, Chicago remains the top jurisdiction utilizing ankle monitors, with 3,259 individuals tracked. The Washington, D.C. office saw the most dramatic increase, rising from 795 monitored individuals in May to 2,339 in July 2025.
Chahal concluded by urging ICE and the Department of Homeland Security to provide full transparency regarding facility-level detention numbers and capacities. “Communities have a right to know where and how individuals are being held. The public deserves clarity, especially at a time when immigration enforcement policies are under intense scrutiny,” he said.
NAPA continues to advocate for humane and transparent immigration enforcement policies, ensuring the rights and dignity of immigrants are safeguarded at every level.
For Media Inquiries, Contact:
North American Punjabi Association (NAPA)
Satnam Singh Chahal, Executive Director