WASHINGTON, D.C. — The July total was a 15% increase from the 43,021 arrests recorded in June 2026. It also represented a 70% increase from the 29,241 arrests recorded in February 2026. Texas and Florida accounted for nearly 20,000 of the arrests in July 2026. These two states have entered into 287(g) agreements with ICE that allow local and state law enforcement to assist in federal immigration enforcement.

Immigration arrests in the month before Donald Trump entered office were slightly over 8,000. ICE arrests exceeded 40,177 in December 2025. Arrests fell to nearly 30,000 in February 2026 following two fatal shootings in Minnesota in January 2026. ICE hired 12,000 new deportation officers and investigative agents after receiving billions of dollars in funding from Congress in summer 2025.

Markwayne Mullin is the Homeland Security Secretary. Kristi Noem was Mullin's predecessor as Homeland Security Secretary. "They changed the tactics and are, if anything, being more effective," said Mark Krikorian, Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies. The Center for Immigration Studies advocates for more immigration restrictions.

Why It Matters

The scale of enforcement has shifted substantially since the start of the administration, with July 2026 representing a peak in monthly arrests. The involvement of state and local authorities through 287(g) agreements in high-arrest states like Texas and Florida indicates a broader operational strategy. The hiring of thousands of new agents and additional congressional funding provide the personnel resources necessary to sustain these elevated enforcement levels.

Timeline

In December 2025, ICE arrests exceeded 40,177. By February 2026, arrests fell to nearly 30,000 following two fatal shootings in Minnesota in January 2026. On March 6, 2026, ICE data documentation from the Deportation Data Project covered enforcement actions through that date, obtained through FOIA litigation in Hausman v. ICE. In July 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 49,571 people, which was the highest single monthly arrest total during the second Trump administration. This total was a 70% increase from the 29,241 arrests recorded in February 2026.

What's New

The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, will share certain information with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its component agency, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security is amending its regulations to codify certain law enforcement authorities delegated by the Secretary of Homeland Security to the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, including the issuance and execution of warrants, the arrest of individuals, and carrying of firearms. According to data from the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 49,571 individuals in July 2026.

The Department of Homeland Security announced that ICE officers arrested 1,328 people in Maryland and Virginia during the first two weeks of August 2026. The Department designated these arrests as "Operation Safe Community — Washington, D.C." According to the Department of Homeland Security, almost 400 of the 1,328 people arrested in Maryland and Virginia in early August 2026 had been convicted or charged with crimes in the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security released the names of nine individuals arrested in Maryland and Virginia in early August 2026. The relevant number is 49,571 arrests in July 2026, which is the highest monthly total during the second Trump administration, surpassing the previous record of 43,138 arrests in June 2026.

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on the specific previous record for monthly arrests during the second Trump administration. One account states the relevant number is 49,571 arrests in July 2026, which is the highest monthly total during the second Trump administration, surpassing the previous record of 43,138 arrests in June 2026. Another source states the 49,571 arrests in July 2026 were the highest single monthly arrest total during the second Trump administration without specifying the prior month's figure.

There is also a minor difference in terminology regarding the subjects of the arrests. One source reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 49,571 individuals in July 2026, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security. Another source states U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 49,571 people in July 2026.