More than 500 Americans detained by immigration agents under Trump administration

More than 500 U.S. citizens have been detained by federal immigration agents during the current Donald Trump administration, including children, people who were recording enforcement operations and citizens who said they were American but were nevertheless taken into custody or even deported.

A ProPublica investigation documented 506 cases between January 2025 and September 2026, based on court records, social media posts and local media reports. The cases highlight situations that contrast with official statements about safeguards intended to prevent U.S. citizens from being mistakenly detained.

More than 100 of the cases involved people detained after agents questioned their citizenship. According to ProPublica, nearly all of those individuals were people of color. The investigation also identified at least 70 U.S. citizen children and teenagers who were detained, some of them in handcuffs, as well as 63 citizens detained while recording immigration operations.

The investigation found that more than 300 citizens were detained on allegations of assaulting or obstructing federal agents. However, fewer than half of the reviewed cases resulted in formal federal charges, while many accusations were later withdrawn or dismissed. At least 36 people remained in custody for a day or more without being able to communicate with an attorney or family members.

The review also identified roughly a dozen U.S. citizens who were deported, most of them children. One case involved Brian Morales García, a U.S. citizen detained in Texas after agents reportedly rejected his claim of citizenship and did not allow him to present his birth certificate. He spent four days in custody without being able to contact his lawyer or others before being deported to Mexico. After filing a lawsuit, he was able to return to the United States with his birth certificate, according to ProPublica.

The investigation also raised questions about racial profiling, the use of force, the detention of people recording immigration operations and possible violations of constitutional rights. Another case involved Willy Wender Aceituno, a naturalized U.S. citizen who voted for Trump twice and later questioned the reasons for immigration enforcement operations after being detained by Border Patrol agents.