U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained more than 500 babies and toddlers during the Trump administration [1].
This increase in the detention of children aged three and under highlights a shift in enforcement priorities and raises concerns regarding the treatment of minors in federal custody.
The findings come from an analysis by MS NOW and The Marshall Project, which examined records from the Deportation’s Data Project [3]. The report said that detentions of this specific age group under Trump were 10 times higher than during the previous 12 months under the Biden administration [3].
Conflicting data within the reports provide different timeframes for these spikes. Some records attribute the total of over 500 detentions to the period between 2017 and 2021 [1]. Other data points cited in the analysis indicate that an average of 25 children aged three and under were detained on any given day between January 2025 and March 2025 [3].
U.S. immigration detention facilities served as the primary locations for these holds [2]. The reports said that the scale of detentions for infants and toddlers represents a dramatic increase compared to previous federal policies.
Officials from ICE have not provided a detailed public response to the specific numerical findings of the MS NOW and Marshall Project analysis. The data relies on a combination of government records and external tracking projects to determine the volume of children held in custody [3].
“ICE detained over 500 babies and toddlers under Trump”
The disparity in detention numbers between administrations suggests that the age of detainees is a direct reflection of executive policy. The reported 10-fold increase under the Trump administration indicates a move toward more aggressive enforcement that includes non-adult family members, whereas the 2025 data suggests a potential resurgence of these practices.
