Records obtained by American Oversight show the Trump administration was aware of an increase in reports of use of force by federal immigration agents during enforcement operations beginning when President Donald Trump returned to office in early 2025.
Internal emails from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) show 67 incidents of ICE officers’ use of force were reported between Jan. 19 and March 20, 2025, and alerted ICE leadership; the records indicate that number quadrupled from 17 in the same period in 2024.
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DHS said its use-of-force policy had not changed since Trump took office.
“DHS law enforcement officers are trained to use the minimum amount of force necessary to de-escalate dangerous situations to prioritize the safety of the public and our officers,” a DHS spokesperson told Newsweek. “Officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics and regularly receive ongoing use of force training. The agency’s current use of force policy is the same as it was in 2023 under President Biden’s administration.”
Earlier this year, ICE expanded enforcement by hiring more than 12,000 agents and deploying them to at least 15 American cities, with memos endorsing use of I-205 administrative warrants.
The DHS Inspector General, an independent watchdog within the department, is now investigating claims of excessive force.
