U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel used physical force hundreds of times against detainees during the first year of the Trump administration, according to a new report.
The outlet compiled a lengthy report that detailed 780 incidents in which force was used or chemical agents deployed against detainees. It noted that detention guards used punches, kicks, takedown maneuvers, restraint holds, and restraint chairs, as well as tasers and pepper spray, among other maneuvers.
"Why are they resorting to this use of force in such bigger numbers?" Jeff Schwartz, a police trainer and associate professor of law and justice at Rowan University in New Jersey asked the newspaper. "It could be the overcrowding, it could be the lack of staff, it could be the lack of training — or a combination of all of them."
The use of force cited by the Post refer to incidents that happened between January 2024 through February 2026, which includes the last year of the Biden administration and the first year of Trump's, which featured increased immigration enforcement. The use of force incidents rose 37 percent during Trump's term and the number of people subjected to force rose 54 percent.
Although the number of people being held in immigration detention under Trump swelled during his first year, that number has been trending downward in 2026.
The decline follows the deaths of two U.S. citizens during immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota and the ensuing fallout. Following the Minnesota shootings, Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino, who was largely the face of Trump's immigration enforcement policy, left Minnesota and announced he was retiring. Also in March, President Trump fired Kristi Noem as Department of Homeland Security secretary.
In January, the daily average number of detainees was 72,000. That number dropped to about 63,000 in March. By early April, the figure was down to 60,311.
According to TRAC, the vast majority of detainees being held, 42,722, had no criminal charges pending or past criminal convictions and were being held solely on immigration issues. The administration has repeatedly framed its immigration efforts as targeting "the worst of the worst."
As for the thousands of other detainees, TRAC noted that records indicate that "many of those convicted committed only minor offenses, including traffic violations." Regardless, according to The Washington Post, guards have repeatedly had to resort to force to control detainees.
The Washington Post contacted the Department of Homeland Security regarding the findings of its investigation. "ICE law enforcement officers are trained to use the minimum amount of force necessary to resolve dangerous situations to prioritize the safety of the detainees, the public, and our officers," Lauren Bis, DHS spokesperson, told the newspaper. "Officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics and regularly receive ongoing use of force training."
