Immigration arrests jump 1500%

Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis may have borne the brunt of the Trump administration’s determined immigration charge, but make no mistake, ICE’s presence is being felt in San Diego.

Our communities may not have seen the violent clashes that have hit those cities, but arrests are soaring.

Some people say those cities are under siege. But perhaps we’ve been in a silent siege all along.

ICE data show that more than 4,500 people were arrested here between May and October of 2025 compared to less than 300 in the same period in 2024. That’s an increase, as our partner CalMatters reports, of 1,500%.

Yes – 1500%.

And arrests in our region, which includes Imperial County, exceed those made in LA though that field office includes, according to ICE, seven counties extending all the way up to San Luis Obispo. Los Angeles County alone has nearly 10 million people, far more than San Diego County, with 3.3 million.

What this means remains to be seen. The siege could remain silent, with continuous immigration operations that fall short of the militaristic approach taken in other cities. Or we could see more Buona Forchetta-type raids.

One volunteer told CalMatters that he feels “the temperature rising.” We can only hope that somehow it cools before there is a San Diego Renee Good or Alex Pretti.

A different Thursday story relates to how the government can offer a helping hand – through the annual count of homeless people in San Diego County. That count results in federal funding for local agencies to help get people off the streets. Our Thomas Murphy followed along to capture scenes from the early-morning effort.

Thoughts? Opinions? Share them with us at news@timesofsandiego.com.