But that is just the most recent example of the Trump administration’s show of force, delivering on the promise he made all through his successful 2024 presidential campaign. Just days after the inauguration, ICE officers appeared in parts of Dallas, arresting dozens in what the government described as “targeted operations,” they claim focused on undocumented people with serious criminal records.
There have been reports from Texas and beyond where people without criminal records have been detained as well. In February, ICE reportedly detained a teen without any criminal background near Austin, and in June, the parents of a 16-year-old boy were apprehended in Dallas. Although neither parent has a criminal record, both had expired tourist visas, according to an unnamed U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent interviewed by CBS News.
ICE in Dallas and Other Texas Cities
On June 9, ICE reported that a Dallas-led ICE crew was successful in “returning 122 illegal aliens to the Peoples Republic of China June 3.”“Through our interagency partnerships and coordination across ICE field offices, we have successfully removed these individuals, many of whom were convicted of egregious crimes,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas acting Field Office Director Josh Johnson in a statement.”
According to official ICE records, as of June 13, 2025, ICE had arrested 2,508 people in Dallas. Although the year is less than half over, that number is a far cry from the 10,450 ICE arrests in Dallas for all of 2024. The 2025 number shoots up dramatically to 7,092 arrests when including those made by ICE in Houston, El Paso, and San Antonio.
The stats from ICE’s records, however, do not include arrests made by CBP officers. People arrested by CBP, usually in cities much closer to the border than Dallas, are primarily detained along with those arrested by ICE. As of May 27, there were 12,511 total detainees between ICE and CPB arrests in Texas, making the Lone Star State the current home to more detainees than anywhere else in the U.S. in 2025 so far.
How To Prepare for An ICE Raid in Dallas
The National Immigrant Justice Center says that “All individuals in the United States have rights, regardless of immigration status.”In January, the Observer published an article detailing tips and guidelines for people to keep in mind as reports of ICE raids in North Texas began surfacing. The article includes social media posts in multiple languages discussing people’s rights and suggested first actions to take should you be approached by ICE agents.
It is also important to keep others informed of where ICE raids are occurring. Several cities, including Dallas, have networks dedicated to monitoring potential ICE raids. The Illinois Coalition for Immigration and Refugee Rights has a 24-hour hotline, available in English and Spanish, to offer support to families facing deportation. The hotline is 855-HELP-MY-FAMILY (855-435-7693).
