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DHS touts highest ICE deportations in history, as Mullin says agency has been ‘unleashed’
The Department of Homeland Security says US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recorded its highest annual arrest and deportation totals in the 2026 fiscal year. Secretary Markwayne Mullin credited President Donald Trump’s policies, saying the agency had been “unleashed”; the figures underline the administration’s sharp increase in immigration enforcement.
DHS reported more than 491,000 arrests, including nearly 475,000 administrative arrests, and 483,200 deportations. Arrests exceeded the combined totals for fiscal years 2022 to 2024 by nearly 65,000, while deportations were fewer than 3,000 short of that three-year total. August set a monthly arrest record of 50,925, and the department said more than 3 million migrants had left the US under Trump’s leadership.
In short
- ICE reported a record 483,200 deportations in fiscal year 2026.
- Arrests topped 491,000, exceeding the prior three-year combined total.
- August also set a monthly arrest record, DHS said.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters argue that record arrests and deportations show the government is enforcing immigration law more consistently and acting on its mandate to control unauthorised entry and residence. They may see stronger enforcement as necessary to deter future crossings, uphold public confidence in the rules and give immigration agencies the resources and authority to do their jobs.
The case against
Critics argue that sharply expanded enforcement can impose serious costs on migrants, families and communities, particularly if speed and volume come at the expense of due process or careful assessment of individual cases. They may also question whether deportation totals alone demonstrate effective policy, and argue that enforcement should be weighed against humanitarian obligations, legal protections and its broader effects.
Explained simply
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal agency that enforces immigration law within the United States and carries out deportations. Its work includes arresting people suspected of violating immigration rules and arranging their removal from the country.
The Department of Homeland Security oversees ICE, and its secretary is a senior member of the president’s administration. Immigration enforcement has been a prominent part of Donald Trump’s policy agenda, making ICE’s activity a measure of how that agenda is being carried out.
Arrests and deportations are different measures: an arrest does not necessarily lead to removal, and deportations may involve people arrested earlier. The figures help show the scale of enforcement, but totals alone do not explain who was affected or the circumstances of individual cases.