Published On 26 Aug 2026
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recorded 49,571 arrests in July, marking the highest monthly figure since President Donald Trump began his second term in office.
The July arrest totals represent a 15 percent increase from June and nearly double the numbers seen in February of this year, according to data compiled by the UC Berkeley- and UCLA-based Deportation Data Project and analyzed by The Associated Press.
Following President Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025, ICE arrests had initially hovered around 8,000 monthly — primarily stemming from transfers from local jails and prisons. However, as enforcement policies expanded during his first year back in office, monthly arrests climbed steadily.
By December 2025, the agency was conducting over 40,000 arrests per month. A temporary dip occurred in February following two fatal shootings in Minnesota, which sparked criticism from Democratic lawmakers. But arrests rebounded sharply in June and continued rising through July.
Approximately 20,000 of July’s arrests were concentrated in Texas and Florida, both of which participate in ICE’s 287(g) program, allowing local law enforcement to assist with federal immigration enforcement.
This increase in enforcement activity follows ICE’s significant staffing expansion last year, with the agency hiring approximately 12,000 additional officers and agents.
