ICE Arrests Reach Nearly 50,000 in July, Highest Level Under Trump

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported 49,571 arrests in July 2026, a 15% increase from June and a 70% increase from February. Texas and Florida accounted for nearly 20,000 detentions, supported by local agreements known as 287(g). The figures reflect a shift in strategy toward less visible but more consistent operations, according to data analyzed by The Associated Press.

The data comes from figures that ICE provided to the Deportation Data Project at UC Berkeley. The increase confirms that the government is maintaining its mass deportation agenda. However, the approach has shifted from the high-profile operations seen early in the year.

How Much Did ICE Arrests Grow in July?

The figure represents a 15% increase from the 43,021 recorded in June. It also represents a 70% jump from the 29,241 arrests in February, a month marked by intensive operations in Minnesota.

Before Trump took office, monthly immigration arrests averaged 8,000. At that time, most detainees came from state or local jails that turned them directly over to ICE.

During the first year of the second term, the numbers rose steadily. The government relaxed rules on where and whom the agency could arrest, and allocated billions of additional dollars.

By December 2025, arrests had already exceeded 40,177, according to data obtained through a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act. Following that figure, arrests fell in February due to public backlash against the Minnesota operations.

After remaining stagnant for several months, arrests surged again in June and July. This pattern coincides with a budget increase and the hiring of 12,000 new deportation officers and investigative agents.

Why Did ICE Change Its Strategy This Year?

In early 2026, ICE executed high-profile operations in cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis. Many of those operations were led by then-Border Patrol agent Greg Bovino.

Those actions generated viral videos on social media. They showed agents jumping out of moving vehicles or using helicopters to reach residential buildings.

Public exposure sparked protests and criticism from Democratic lawmakers. Additionally, it coincided with two fatal shootings involving ICE agents in Minnesota that occurred in January 2026.

Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies, an organization that advocates for stricter immigration restrictions, stated that previous tactics «were antagonizing a lot of ordinary people, discouraging them even if they liked the idea of immigration law enforcement being carried out.» Krikorian also noted that the government «did not stop law enforcement» and that, according to his analysis, «they changed tactics and, if anything, are being more effective.»

Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin assumed office in March 2026. During his confirmation hearing, he promised to keep ICE out of the headlines.