A US border agent walks down a street during a multi-agency targeted enforcement operation in Chicago, Illinois. Photo: Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg/Getty Images/FILE via CNN Newsource
Update: This story has been updated with additional details about the number of New Zealanders specifically held in immigration detention.
There are at least 15 New Zealanders currently imprisoned in the United States, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFAT) says, three of them in immigration detention.
An MFAT spokesperson said they could not provide further information for privacy reasons.
The Trump administration has been implementing a nationwide crackdown on migrants since taking office in January.
While much of the crackdown has focused on the Latino community in the US, foreign nationals from other countries - such as South Korea - have also been targeted.
The ministry confirmed earlier said it was helping one New Zealander in detention.
Last month, New Zealand woman Sarah Shaw and her six-year-old son were released back to their home in Washington state after a problem with her paperwork on the US-Canada border.
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