ICE arrests soar in July to new high
Recent government data reveals a critically important surge in arrests by U.S.Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), reaching the highest levels observed during the Trump governance. In the first 11 days of July, ICE averaged 1,593 arrests daily, surpassing JuneS previous record of just over 1,300 arrests per day. Including arrests by U.S. Customs and Border Protection,ICE is on track to exceed 50,000 arrests in July alone,a considerable increase from the 43,138 arrests recorded in June and previous monthly totals under past administrations. As of mid-July,over 353,000 suspected illegal immigrants had been arrested in fiscal 2026,with more than 90% conducted by ICE.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed efforts to intensify arrest activities, describing it as “turning up the heat.” The arrest increase follows Mullin’s appointment, replacing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and has been noted for resulting in more arrests without significant public backlash, according to independent researcher Austin Kocher. Despite the rise in arrests, concerns persist over issues within ICE, including detainee deaths and fatal shootings during ICE encounters, suggesting ongoing challenges with agency conduct. It is also noted that arrests during encounters do not necessarily lead to immediate detention, as some individuals are released after encounters. Additional law enforcement agencies, such as the U.S. Marshals, FBI, and DEA, contribute to total immigration-related arrests beyond ICE’s statistics.
Arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have surged in recent weeks to the highest levels seen in the Trump administration, according to new government data released overnight.
In the first 11 days of July, ICE averaged 1,593 arrests of suspected illegal immigrants daily, up from the previous record of just over 1,300 arrests per day in June. The data include arrests by another federal immigration agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
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ICE is on track to surpass 50,000 arrests in July alone, which would far surpass the June total of 43,138. The previous record high of 42,107 was set in December. The monthly totals also supersede monthly totals during all previous administrations, as the Trump administration continues to carry out a mass deportation operation.
As of July 11, ICE and CBP had arrested 353,354 suspected illegal immigrants in fiscal 2026, which began in October 2025. More than 90% of arrests were made by ICE, while the remainder were conducted by CBP’s Border Patrol agents and Office of Field Operations officers.
Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed that the DHS was, in fact, attempting to increase arrests.
“We’re turning up the heat on the streets. We’re out there working harder than we ever have because we’ve empowered our law enforcement to do their job,” Mullin told reporters at a press conference.
Austin Kocher, an independent immigration data researcher formerly associated with Syracuse University’s Transactional Research Access Clearinghouse, noted in a Substack post that the upturn in arrests follows Mullin’s replacement of ousted DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
“The purported shift in ICE tactics—from the manic Kristi Noem months that cost the lives of two U.S. citizens to the less spectacular tactics under Markwayne Mullin—has effectively led to more arrests without as much popular backlash,” Kocher wrote in a post late Monday.
However, Kocher noted, the soaring number of detainee deaths while in ICE custody and recent fatal shootings of two people during ICE encounters “hardly points to a more disciplined, less rogue agency.”
ICE MELTING UNDER TRUMP’S EXPECTATIONS, OFFICERS SAY
People detained by ICE during encounters have not been arrested. Arrest data show individuals who have been transported to detention facilities and booked into federal custody.
Additional arrests made by the Justice Department’s U.S. Marshals Office, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and other supporting agencies were not included in the ICE statistics.
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