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Utah ICE arrests more than double in 2025 compared to previous year, most already in jail

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Utah ICE arrests more than double in 2025 compared to previous year, most already in jail


Federal immigration arrests in Utah more than doubled in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to data provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to the Deportation Data Project.

That data shows ICE made about 1,100 arrests statewide in 2024. But between January and October 2025 alone, arrests climbed to more than 3,000.

The data offers a closer look at who is being detained and how immigration enforcement is playing out across the state.

MORE | ICE

More than half — 55.5% — of those arrested had criminal convictions. About 27.4% had pending criminal charges but no convictions, while 17.2% had no criminal history and were detained solely for immigration violations.

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Of the more than 3,000 people detained in 2025, roughly 72%, or just over 2,100 individuals, have already been deported.

In most cases, ICE detention began in local jails or state prisons, where inmates were held temporarily before being transferred to federal custody and removed from the country.

The average time between arrest and deportation in Utah was 26 days, according to the data. The shortest wait was one day for someone who had previously been deported, while the longest detention lasted 247 days, just over eight months.

Most ICE arrests in Utah do not happen in street operations. Instead, they typically involve people who are already incarcerated and turned over to federal authorities rather than being released back to the street. These are typically executed through Utah 287g agreements with ICE, called detention requests.

State data provided by the Utah Department of Corrections shows Utah, as of Jan 30, has 277 individuals in custody who indicated they were here illegally. 229 have ICE detention requests, meaning they will be transferred to ICE custody upon completion of their sentence.

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According to the UDC, the daily incarceration rate is $156 and includes operational costs and medical costs. If all 277 illegal immigrant inmates currently in custody in the state served at least a one-year sentence, it would cost about $15.7 million in taxpayer dollars.

The ICE arrest data used in this report did not granularly break down what crimes arrested individuals were convicted of, and whether they were violent offences or not.

Of the 277 illegal immigrants in Utah’s jails and prisons, about 71% were convicted of 1st degree felonies, 22% were convicted of 2nd degree felonies, 6% were convicted of 3rd degree felonies, and less than 1% (2 people) were convicted of capital felonies.

According to new exclusive reporting out of CBS News, using data from the Department of Homeland Security, less than 14% of the illegal immigrants arrested by ICE nationwide had violent criminal offenses. The report states that nearly 60% of people arrested by ICE over the past year had criminal charges or convictions, but the majority of the criminal charges or convictions are not for violent crimes.

Here in Utah, among people already incarcerated in county jails, DUI offenses were the most common charge. For those in state prison, sexual abuse was the most frequent offense.

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2News reached out to both the Governor and Lt. Governor for comment on the cost to imprison illegal immigrants at state and local facilities, but did not hear back. We also reached out to Sen. Dan McKay, the chair of the Senate Revenue and Taxation committee, but he was not available for an interview.

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Utah man dies of injuries sustained in avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon

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Utah man dies of injuries sustained in avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon


A man died after he was caught in an avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon over the weekend.

A spokesperson for the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Thursday that Kevin Williams, 57, had died.

He, along with one other person, was hospitalized in critical condition after Saturday’s avalanche in the backcountry.

MORE | Big Cottonwood Canyon Avalanche

In an interview with 2News earlier this week, one of Williams’ close friends, Nate Burbidge, described him as a loving family man.

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“Kevin’s an amazing guy. He’s always serving, looking for ways that he can connect with others,” Burbidge said.

A GoFundMe was set up to help support Williams’ family.

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911 recordings detail hours leading up to discovery of Utah girl, mother dead in Las Vegas

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911 recordings detail hours leading up to discovery of Utah girl, mother dead in Las Vegas


CONTENT WARNING: This report discusses suicide and includes descriptions of audio from 911 calls that some viewers may find disturbing.

LAS VEGAS — Exclusively obtained 911 recordings detail the hours leading up to the discovery of an 11-year-old Utah girl and her mother dead inside a Las Vegas hotel room in an apparent murder-suicide.

Addi Smith and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, lived in West Jordan and had traveled to Nevada for the JAMZ cheerleading competition.

The calls show a growing sense of urgency from family members and coaches, and several hours passing before relatives learned what happened.

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MORE | Murder-Suicide

Below is a timeline of the key moments, according to dispatch records. All times are Pacific Time.

10:33 a.m. — Call 1

After Addi and her mother failed to appear at the cheerleading competition, Addi’s father and stepmother called dispatch for a welfare check.

Addi and her mother were staying at the Rio hotel. The father told dispatch that hotel security had already attempted contact.

“Security went up and knocked on the door. There’s no answer or response it doesn’t look like they checked out or anything…”

11:18 a.m. and 11:27 a.m. — Calls 2 and 3

As concern grew, Addi’s coach contacted the police two times within minutes.

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“We think the child possibly is in imminent danger…”

11:26 a.m. — Call 4

Addi’s stepmother placed another call to dispatch, expressing escalating concern.

“We are extremely concerned we believe that something might have seriously happened.”

She said that Tawnia’s car was still at the hotel.

Police indicated officers were on the way.

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2:26 p.m. — Call 5

Nearly three hours after the initial welfare check request, fire personnel were en route to the scene. It appeared they had been in contact with hotel security.

Fire told police that they were responding to a possible suicide.

“They found a note on the door.”

2:35 p.m. — Call 6

Emergency medical personnel at the scene told police they had located two victims.

“It’s going to be gunshot wound to the head for both patients with notes”

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A dispatcher responded:

“Oh my goodness that’s not okay.”

2:36 p.m. — Call 7

Moments later, fire personnel relayed their assessment to law enforcement:

“It’s going to be a murder suicide, a juvenile and a mother.”

2:39 p.m. — Call 8

Unaware of what had been discovered, Addi’s father called dispatch again.

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“I’m trying to file a missing persons report for my daughter.”

He repeats the details he knows for the second time.

3:13 p.m. — Call 9

Father and stepmother call again seeking information and continue to press for answers.

“We just need some information. There was a room check done around 3:00 we really don’t know where to start with all of this Can we have them call us back immediately?”

Dispatch responded:

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“As soon as there’s a free officer, we’ll have them reach out to you.”

4:05 p.m. — Call 10

More than an hour later, Addi’s father was put in contact with the police on the scene. He pleaded for immediate action.

“I need someone there I need someone there looking in that room”

The officer confirmed that they had officers currently in the room.

Addi’s father asks again what they found, if Addi and her mother are there, and if their things were missing.

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The officer, who was not on scene, said he had received limited information.

5:23 p.m. — Call 11

Nearly seven hours after the first welfare check request, Addi’s grandmother contacted police, describing conflicting information circulating within the family.

“Some people are telling us that they were able to get in, and they were not in the hotel room, and other people saying they were not able to get in the hotel room, and we need to know”

She repeated the details of the case. Dispatch said officers will call her back once they have more information.

Around 8:00 p.m. — Press Conference

Later that evening, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police held a news conference confirming that Addi and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, were found dead inside the hotel room.

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The investigation remains ongoing.

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Ban on AI glasses in Utah classrooms inches closer to passing

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Ban on AI glasses in Utah classrooms inches closer to passing


AI glasses could allow you to get answers, snap photos, access audio and take phone calls—and now a proposal moving through the legislature would ban the glasses from Utah school classrooms.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Kizzy Guyton Murphy, a mother who accompanied her child’s class on a field trip to the state Capitol on Wednesday. “You can’t see inside what the student is looking at, and it’s just grounds for cheating.”

Mom Tristan Davies Seamons also sees trouble with AI glasses.

“I don’t think they should have any more technology in schools than they currently have,” she said.

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Her twin daughters, fourth graders Finley and Grayson, don’t have cell phones yet.

“Not until we’re like 14,” said Grayson, adding they do have Chromebooks in school.

2News sent questions to the Utah State Board of Education:

  • Does it have reports of students using AI glasses?
  • Does it see cheating and privacy as major concerns?
  • Does it support a ban from classrooms?

Matt Winters, USBE AI specialist, said the board has not received reports from school districts of students with AI glasses.

“Local Education Agencies (school districts) have local control over these decisions based on current law and code,” said Winters. “The Board has not taken a position on AI glasses.

MORE | Utah State Legislature:

Some districts across the country have reportedly put restrictions on the glasses in schools.

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“I think it should be up to the teachers,” said Briauna Later, another mother who is all for preventing cheating, but senses a ban could leave administrators with tired eyes.

“It’s one more thing for the administration to have to keep track of,” said Later.

The proposal, HB 42, passed the House and cleared a Senate committee on Wednesday.

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