re: ICEBlock App alerts people if ICE is within 5 miles

quote:

---

If ICE wasn’t already there, how would their location be reported on the app?

---

quote:

---

While you're in route, someone could ping they saw ICE driving down the street.

---

quote:

---

We should install it and report false info to the point where it is useless.

---

quote:

---

You'd have a point if cops radaring were attempting to serve arrest warrants

---

quote:

---

ICE makes warrantless arrests.

---

quote:

---

What is an administrative arrest?

Let’s begin with known descriptions of ICE’s administrative arrests. The Office of Homeland Security Statistics (OHSS) defines an administrative arrest as “Detaining by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within the interior of the United States of an alien unlawfully present in the United States or of a lawfully present aliens (sic) who is subject to removal.”

An ICE report from 2018 defines an administrative arrest as “the arrest of an alien for a civil violation of U.S. immigration laws, which is subsequently adjudicated by an immigration judge or through other administrative processes.”

Since it is relevant for this discussion, a 2023 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report also describes the connection between an administrative warrant and an administrative arrest as follows: “ICE administrative arrests are based on administrative arrest warrants. Unlike judicial warrants, ICE warrants are purely administrative, as they are neither reviewed nor issued by a judge or magistrate, and therefore do not confer the same authority as judicially approved arrest warrants.”

Let’s boil this down to the simplest definition: An administrative arrest is an arrest for a civil violation of U.S. immigration laws. These are not criminal arrests, even if the person arrested has a criminal history.

But wait: Can ICE make arrests without an immigration warrant and can ICE make arrests for criminal violations? Under certain conditions, yes and yes. A recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) report, updated in June 2025, describes the following conditions under which ICE may make an immigration arrest without a warrant:

“1. the alien, in the presence or view of the immigration officer, is entering or attempting to enter the United States unlawfully; or

2. the immigration officer has ‘reason to believe’ that the alien is in the United States unlawfully and is likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained.”

Since ICE usually does not conduct border enforcement directly, the first one is less likely of a scenario. However, the second point here is crucial, since it implies that as long as an ICE officer says, “Hey, I thought this guy was an illegal [alien] and he was going to get away,” ICE could conduct an administrative arrest against lots of people.

I’m not splitting hairs here. The reason this matters is because when we are writing about administrative arrest data, we should be aware that while these arrests should be accompanied by warrants, there are loopholes. Some percentage of all ICE administrative arrests will have a warrant and some percentage will not. And this administration has an incentive to ignore even the low bar of ensuring that everyone has an administrative warrant.

---

quote:

---

Section 287 of the Immigration and Nationality Act provides ICE officers the authority to arrest aliens without a judicial warrant.

In fact, no judge in this country has the authority to issue a warrant for a civil immigration violation.

---