ICE Records Highest Monthly Arrests Under Trump Administration

The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recorded its highest monthly arrest total in Department of Homeland Security history in July 2026. While CBS News reported 46,000 detentions and the Associated Press cited 49,571, federal sources told Fox News the agency made approximately 51,000 arrests. This surge follows a White House goal of 2,000 arrests per day and is supported by the hiring of 12,000 new officers and billions in congressional funding.

To meet these quotas, federal agents shifted from high-profile raids in Democratic-led cities to less visible tactics. These include roadside truck checks in the Midwest, checkpoints in National Forests like Wilson Creek, North Carolina, and increased operations at airports to prevent undocumented immigrants from flying domestically. Texas and Florida were central to the effort, accounting for nearly 20,000 July arrests through 287g cooperation agreements.

Despite administration claims of targeting violent criminals, data from the Associated Press indicates more than half of July's detainees had no criminal convictions. Detainees included a Fulbright scholar and a university instructor. The surge has coincided with fatalities, including two immigrants shot during traffic stops in Texas and Maine and a man killed by a truck in Florida. President Donald Trump ordered traffic stops to continue, though Border Czar Tom Homan announced that officers will now wear body cameras.

Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin credited the leadership of President Trump for the operations, noting the deportation of convicted murderers and rapists. However, Mike Howell of the Oversight Project argued the enforcement scale remains disproportionately low compared to the administration's promises.