ICE detained and deported U.S. citizens. Two U.S. citizen siblings (ages 4 and 7) deported to Honduras within 24 hours - 4-year-old had late-stage cancer and no medication. At least seven U.S. citizen children deported with parents.
Tom Homan confirmed ICE made “collateral arrests” of “many” American citizens. Northwestern researcher estimated 1% of all ICE detainees are U.S. citizens. ICE has deported dozens of U.S. citizens.
Update (October 6, 2026): ProPublica counted 506 U.S. citizens detained by federal agents between January 2025 and September 2026, and called the list an undercount. They include more than a hundred Americans held after agents questioned their citizenship, nearly all of them people of color; at least 70 children and teens, some handcuffed; at least 63 people detained while recording; 36 held for at least a day without being able to contact a lawyer or family; and roughly a dozen citizens deported, mostly children. Of more than 300 citizens detained for allegedly assaulting or obstructing agents, fewer than half were charged in federal court; of 137 federal charges, nearly half were dropped or dismissed. During the Chicago surge known as Operation Midway Blitz, DHS said there were “no administrative arrests of U.S. citizens”; ProPublica found agents detained more than 120 citizens in Illinois. DHS said, “DHS enforcement operations are highly targeted. We do our due diligence.” The count is ProPublica's own investigation, built from individual cases and local reporting.