2026
Ong, Paul; Ong, Jonathan; Pech, Chhandara
The “Worst of the Worst” Pretext: ICE Arrest Patterns Under Trump Technical Report
2026.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: deportation, ICE, immigration, immigration enforcement, trump administration
@techreport{nokey,
title = {The “Worst of the Worst” Pretext: ICE Arrest Patterns Under Trump},
author = {Paul Ong and Jonathan Ong and Chhandara Pech},
url = {https://knowledge.luskin.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/UCLA_CNK_Worst_of_the_Worst_ICE_Arrest_Patterns_Under_Trump_May2026.pdf},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-05-19},
urldate = {2026-05-19},
abstract = {This brief examines whether the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement practices aligns with its repeated claims of targeting the “worst of the worst.” Using ICE arrest data from January 2024 through February 2026, the analysis finds that while overall arrests increased substantially under Trump, the share involving individuals classified as the most serious public-safety threats declined sharply. Instead, ICE increasingly targeted immigrants with no criminal conviction, no pending charges, and no identified gang affiliation, alongside a rise in aggressive at-large arrests conducted in community settings.},
keywords = {deportation, ICE, immigration, immigration enforcement, trump administration},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {techreport}
}
This brief examines whether the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement practices aligns with its repeated claims of targeting the “worst of the worst.” Using ICE arrest data from January 2024 through February 2026, the analysis finds that while overall arrests increased substantially under Trump, the share involving individuals classified as the most serious public-safety threats declined sharply. Instead, ICE increasingly targeted immigrants with no criminal conviction, no pending charges, and no identified gang affiliation, alongside a rise in aggressive at-large arrests conducted in community settings.
Ong, Paul; Ong, Jonathan; Diaz, Sonja
Latino ICE Detentions Dramatically Reshaped Under Trump Technical Report
2026.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: deportation, detention, ICE, ICE arrests, ICE detention, immigration, immigration enforcement, latinos, racial profiling, trump administration
@techreport{nokey,
title = {Latino ICE Detentions Dramatically Reshaped Under Trump},
author = {Paul Ong and Jonathan Ong and Sonja Diaz },
url = {https://knowledge.luskin.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/UCLA_CNK_Unseen_Latino_ICE_Detentions_Dramatically_Reshaped_Under_Trump_Jan2026.pdf},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-01-20},
urldate = {2026-01-20},
abstract = {Produced in collaboration with Unseen, this brief examines how immigration detention practices under President Trump’s second administration have reshaped the experiences of Latino immigrants. The analysis finds that detentions increasingly targeted noncriminal, law-abiding Latinos, with sharp increases in detention length, transfers between facilities, and out-of-state confinement. The findings raise serious concerns about due process, family separation, and the broader social and economic impacts of expanded detention policies.},
keywords = {deportation, detention, ICE, ICE arrests, ICE detention, immigration, immigration enforcement, latinos, racial profiling, trump administration},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {techreport}
}
Produced in collaboration with Unseen, this brief examines how immigration detention practices under President Trump’s second administration have reshaped the experiences of Latino immigrants. The analysis finds that detentions increasingly targeted noncriminal, law-abiding Latinos, with sharp increases in detention length, transfers between facilities, and out-of-state confinement. The findings raise serious concerns about due process, family separation, and the broader social and economic impacts of expanded detention policies.