Immigration and Customs Enforcement—the agency we call ICE—is making a lot more arrests lately. New data shows that agents are catching more people across the country than they were before.

In New York and New Jersey, nearly 40,000 people have been arrested. In Austin, Texas, the number of arrests has jumped by more than 300% since the start of Donald Trump’s second term. Reports also suggest that officials have been told to ramp up these daily arrests, even though some politicians are worried about the timing with midterms coming up.

Some local leaders have tried to work with ICE, hoping it might make things run smoother or protect their neighborhoods. But a new study from the Prison Policy Initiative shows that this cooperation doesn't actually stop arrests from happening in communities. People are still being taken into custody regardless of these local agreements.

In places like Seattle, people are starting to speak out. Some say they are worried about this 'shadow surge,' which is a way of describing the sudden and quiet increase in these enforcement actions. Activists are asking what they can do to help those affected.

Bottom line: No matter where you live, federal agents are moving faster and arresting more people than they used to.

Source: Gothamist