US immigration agents arrested more than 49,500 people in July | News
ICE Reports Significant Increase in Arrests for July
August 26, 2026
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted 49,571 arrests in July, marking the highest monthly total since President Donald Trump began his second term. This figure represents a roughly 15 percent increase compared to June and approximately 70 percent higher than February’s numbers, according to data from ICE reviewed by the Deportation Data Project at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Los Angeles, and analyzed by The Associated Press.
Prior to Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025, monthly arrests were slightly above 8,000, primarily involving immigrants transferred from local jails to ICE for deportation. Following his inauguration, the number of arrests began to rise as ICE officials relaxed restrictions on targeting individuals. By December 2025, monthly arrests had exceeded 40,000.
Arrests dropped in February after two fatal shootings in Minnesota led to protests and outcries from Democratic lawmakers. Following a period of stagnation, arrest numbers surged in June and again in July.
Texas and Florida accounted for nearly 20,000 of the July arrests. Both states participate in 287(g) agreements, which allow local law enforcement to function as extensions of immigration enforcement.
The increase in arrests follows a significant hiring initiative, with ICE adding approximately 12,000 officers and agents over the past year.
