UPDATE: New data reveals that in September 2025, a staggering 48% of individuals arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Northern California had no prior criminal record. This significant shift marks the first time nearly half of those detained were law-abiding residents, raising concerns about the agency’s enforcement priorities.
The report, released by the Deportation Data Project led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, indicates that ICE arrests in the region have more than tripled this year, highlighting a dramatic increase in enforcement activity. Of the arrests made, 39% involved individuals with previous criminal convictions, while the remaining 14% had pending criminal charges.
This surge in arrests comes amid President Donald Trump’s administration’s controversial immigration policies, which have increasingly targeted individuals without criminal backgrounds. Earlier this year, Trump vowed to deport the “worst of the worst,” yet these latest statistics suggest a broadening of enforcement actions.
The national landscape reflects similar trends, with approximately 74% of detainees in ICE facilities across the United States lacking any criminal history, according to data from the Transaction Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University.
In a troubling development, recent findings from Mission Local show that arrests at San Francisco’s immigration courthouse have diminished, even as overall ICE activities continue to rise dramatically. Between January 20 and October 15, 2025, ICE arrests in Northern California increased more than threefold compared to the same timeframe last year.
Additionally, deportations in California have surged by 78% compared to 2024, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. However, these figures may not fully represent the reality on the ground, as nearly 11% of ICE’s reported data for the “San Francisco Area of Responsibility,” which includes Northern California, Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan, did not specify where the arrests occurred.
As of September, a growing number of individuals are being held at the short-term detention facility located at 630 Sansome St. In that month alone, there were 246 new detention stays, a stark 67% increase from August. Although individuals are typically held for only a few hours, reports indicate that at least 38 people have been detained there for longer than the recommended 12-hour period.
The implications of these developments are profound, affecting families and communities across Northern California. As the statistics unfold, the urgent need for transparency and humane treatment in immigration enforcement remains a critical conversation point.
This is a developing story, and more updates are expected as further data emerges. Stay tuned for the latest.
