ICE Touts Record Arrest Numbers Days After Trump Called Policy 'Too Tough'

Just days after President Donald Trump claimed his own immigration enforcement agency was too tough, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released figures showing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had set record-high arrest and deportation numbers in fiscal year 2026. ICE deported 483,200 people and made over 491,000 immigration arrests, marking the highest annual totals in the agency's history.

The number of deportations surpassed the previous record set in fiscal year 2025, and DHS said nearly 475,000 of the arrests were administrative, involving alleged civil immigration violations. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin highlighted the agency's achievements, stating that ICE's efforts were aimed at making America safe. However, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council cautioned that comparisons of removals across administrations could be misleading, as the Biden administration also conducted over 2 million expulsions under the Title 42 public health policy.

ICE's record-breaking year was fueled by billions of dollars in funding from President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, with $45 billion allocated to expand immigration detention and nearly $30 billion for personnel and enforcement operations. Despite the significant increase in deportations and arrests, President Trump has acknowledged that his administration's immigration crackdown may have gone too far, citing incidents of immigrants working in industries like landscaping and hospitality being removed despite holding jobs and paying taxes.

The administration has also faced criticism over misconduct allegations, incidents of racial profiling, aggressive enforcement tactics, and inadequate medical care for detainees.