ICE Detains Dozens of Religious Leaders Since Trump’s 2025 Immigration Crackdown
At least 65 clergy members have been held by ICE after President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, with dozens still detained or deported.
Following President Donald Trump's return to the White House in January 2025, ICE has detained at least 65 religious figures such as pastors, priests, imams, rabbis, monks and deacons. Of those, 30 have been released, 18 deported and 14 continue to be held, according to analysis of court records and public data. The individuals span diverse immigration backgrounds, including asylum seekers, lawful permanent residents and visa holders, and many were apprehended during ordinary immigration appointments or traffic stops.
A deceased case involves Imam Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir, who died while in custody in December 2025. Civil-rights groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations are urging a congressional probe and the passage of the NO Ban Act to prevent discrimination based on faith. The Department of Homeland Security maintains that enforcement targets only those unlawfully present in the United States.
Why it matters
The detentions raise concerns about possible religious bias in U.S. immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
How this story developed
- Aug 13 San Antonio immigrants live in constant fear as ICE arrests surge
- Sep 20 A man was wounded after being shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in North Austin, Texas, and taken to a local hospital.
- Sep 27 A federal judge scheduled a personal appearance for the man on September 30 and issued a temporary order halting his deportation.
- Sep 29 The U.S. Supreme Court granted the Justice Department’s emergency request, letting the Trump administration continue deporting migrants to third countries while the policy’s legality is examined.
- Sep 30 Supreme Court issued an emergency order allowing third‑country deportations to continue.
- Sep 30 An immigration judge ruled that Salah Sarsour, head of Wisconsin’s largest mosque, can be deported on national-security grounds despite his claim that the case targets his Palestinian-rights advocacy.
- Sep 30 The Justice Department lodged complaints with the 8th Circuit alleging that Minnesota federal judges made partisan statements about a Trump-era deportation surge.
- Oct 1 A federal indictment charging Garces Perez with assault was filed.
- Oct 3 The filing requests that the judges be barred from hearing Department of Homeland Security cases.
- Oct 3 A Chicago immigration judge allowed a possible deportation of Salah Sarsour.
- Oct 8 A person was shot by federal agents in Marble Hill, Bronx, and is now receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.
- Oct 9 ICE announced it will continue enforcement actions in New York City despite the shooting.
- Oct 10 Protests spread to Manhattan and lower Manhattan, drawing thousands of demonstrators.
- Oct 10 An off‑duty ICE agent was shot after allegedly assaulting a homeowner and his father in Fresno.
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