Asylum Seekers With No Criminal Records Increasingly Detained as Administration Shifts Policy

Asylum seekers with no criminal records are being detained in growing numbers as the administration abandons the longstanding practice of releasing applicants to live and work in communities while their cases proceed. ICE detention has surged 75% year-over-year to 68,289 people, with 73.6% having no criminal conviction. The policy shift converts the asylum system from a managed-release model to a detention-first framework, straining facility capacity and legal resources.