RALEIGH, N.C.– Immigration enforcement data from the federal government clearly shows a shift under President Trump. That’s exactly what he said he would do when he ran for President.
Looking at the data from Customs and Immigration Enforcement we found vastly more arrests than under President Biden. We also found an increasing percentage are people who either don’t have criminal convictions or ICE provided incomplete data.
Fear over aggressive ICE actions escalated last year during a statewide campaign dubbed “Operation Charlotte’s Web.”
Data provided by Homeland Security to the “Deportation Data Project ” and analyzed by WRAL Investigates shows an increase in the number of people ICE detained in North Carolina. It’s also important to note the data provided ends with actions prior to October 16, 2025, which is before “Charlotte’s Web.”
We found in the last year and a half of the Biden administration, ICE arrested about five people every day in North Carolina.
In the first nine months of Trump’s presidency, that more than doubled, to about 12 people a day.
The profile of who is getting arrested looks very different, too.
The Trump administration and supporters, like State House Speaker Destin Hall, claim they are arresting the most dangerous and violent criminals. Hall made that very clear on Fox Digital, saying “Democrats will say illegal immigrants don’t commit crimes at any higher rate than citizens. But here’s what i know. that if illegal aliens were not in this country, there would be a zero percent chance.”
The data, if complete, does not show that. Instead, those getting detained by ICE are often held for pending charges, not convictions, or for “OTHER” immigration violations such as illegal re-entry or over-staying a visa.
Under Biden, of the roughly 2,000 people detained in our state, 82% were identified as convicted criminals.
Under Trump, the data shows only 51% have criminal convictions listed. One possible reason for that drop is more law local enforcement agencies now cooperating with federal agencies by holding illegal immigrants in custody until ICE can pick them up.
Durham woman Maggie Shama’s husband Mohamed Shama is among those without a criminal record, detained at a routine immigration appointment, then deported.
Sharma criticized those actions during an interview with WRAL, “You made the laws. You made the rules in which you want people to adhere to. And you’re not following them. You’re not following them.”
WRAL asked the Department of Homeland Security for an explanation into what the data shows and why they think that’s a good strategy. We did not hear back.