At a Glance
- Dallas ICE officers make about 100 arrests daily, the second-highest total in the country
- 80 percent of those arrests involve people with criminal records or pending charges
- More than 9,600 noncitizens have been arrested since October 2025
- Why it matters: The surge raises questions about enforcement priorities as nationwide arrests of non-criminals triple
Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are conducting targeted enforcement actions every morning, according to the agency’s acting field office director, and the majority of those arrests involve people with criminal records.
Robert Cerna, acting field office director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Dallas, told News Of Fort Worth that officers are in the field daily. “Here in Dallas, we have officers in the field every single morning doing targeted enforcement actions,” Cerna said.
Arrest Numbers and Criminal Focus
Since October 2025, the Dallas office has arrested 9,644 noncitizens. Close to 8,000 of those arrested had criminal records or pending criminal charges, Cerna said.
The office averages about 100 arrests per day, the second-highest total in the country. Cerna emphasized that those individuals were targeted because they had received a final order of removal from an immigration judge and were considered a threat to public safety.
Some arrests are made through ICE’s criminal alien program. “Individuals that are in county jails, and that we place a detainer on. These are individuals that are here in the country without documentation that have broken a law here in the United States,” Cerna said.
Staffing Doubles After Hiring Event
Cerna joined the Dallas ERO office in July, two months before a large ICE hiring event held in Arlington. “I can tell you that since that hiring event, our staffing level is pretty much doubled,” Cerna said.
Coordination with Local Police
Because there is no 287(g) agreement in Dallas, Dallas police officers are limited to securing a safe perimeter during operations. Cerna explained the coordination process: “Our officers would reach out and indicate that we’re going to be in this area, conducting targeted enforcement operations, and we advise whatever jurisdiction that we’re in that area just so that they are aware that we, federal law enforcement, ICE officers are in that area.”
National Trend Raises Questions
According to data from the Deportation Data Project, arrests nationwide of people without a criminal history or pending charges have increased threefold. The increase raises questions about whether ICE enforcement priorities are shifting away from convicted criminals.
Key Takeaways
- Dallas ICE arrests average 100 people daily
- 80% of those arrested have criminal records or pending charges
- Office staffing doubled after July hiring event
- Nationwide, arrests of non-criminals have tripled
