U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 49,571 people across the country in July, marking the highest monthly total recorded during President Donald Trump’s second administration.
Eko Hot News reports that the July figure represents a 15 per cent increase from the 43,021 arrests recorded in June and a 70 per cent rise from the 29,241 arrests reported in February. The figures were provided by ICE to the University of California, Berkeley’s Deportation Data Project and analysed by The Associated Press.
The latest figures show that immigration enforcement has continued to expand under the Trump administration, even as officials have adjusted the methods used to carry out arrests.
Before Trump returned to office, monthly immigration arrests were slightly above 8,000. The figure has increased considerably since the administration introduced broader enforcement measures.
ICE recorded more than 40,000 arrests in December, before the monthly figures declined in the early part of 2026.
The numbers later began rising again, with June recording more than 43,000 arrests before July reached the latest high.
The administration has continued to emphasize immigration enforcement as a major policy priority.
Officials have also expanded cooperation between ICE and state and local law enforcement agencies through agreements that allow participating officers to assist with federal immigration duties.
Those partnerships accounted for about 6,500 arrests in July, representing roughly 13 per cent of the monthly total, according to an analysis of the figures.
Texas and Florida recorded particularly high numbers during the month. Together, the two states accounted for nearly 20,000 ICE arrests in July.
The figures highlight the growing role of state-level cooperation in the federal government’s immigration enforcement programme.
The July data also show that ICE arrests were not limited to people already being held in local or state facilities.
About half of the July arrests were classified as non-custodial, meaning individuals were taken into ICE custody from their communities rather than being transferred from other detention facilities.
The figures have renewed attention on the scope of the administration’s immigration policies.
More than half of those arrested in July had no criminal convictions and were not facing criminal charges, according to the data. Less than one-quarter had previously been convicted of a crime.
The development has prompted different reactions from immigration advocates and supporters of stricter enforcement.
Supporters of the administration argue that broader enforcement is necessary to implement federal immigration laws and strengthen control over immigration procedures.
Critics, however, say the figures demonstrate that enforcement has expanded beyond people with criminal convictions.
The increase also reflects a change in enforcement strategy.
Earlier in the administration, ICE attracted significant attention through high-profile operations in major American cities. More recent enforcement has involved less-publicized arrests in communities and increased cooperation with local authorities.
The shift has allowed the agency to maintain a high level of activity while reducing the visibility associated with some earlier operations.
The Trump administration has also increased resources available to immigration enforcement agencies.
Additional funding and personnel have supported ICE’s expanded activities, while new partnerships have increased the number of officials able to participate in immigration enforcement.
The growing arrest figures come as the administration continues to pursue its broader immigration policy objectives.
The July total represents an average of roughly 1,600 arrests each day, based on the 31-day month.
The increase from February is particularly significant. July’s 49,571 arrests were substantially higher than the 29,241 recorded five months earlier.
The figures therefore provide a clear indication of how immigration enforcement has intensified during the second half of the year.
The data also offer a rare look at ICE activity at a time when public reporting on individual enforcement operations has become less comprehensive.
Analysts say the numbers provide important information for understanding the scale and direction of federal immigration enforcement.
For communities across the United States, the increase could mean greater interaction with federal immigration authorities as ICE expands its operations and local partnerships.
The administration, meanwhile, has continued to present immigration enforcement as a central component of its domestic policy agenda.
With July now established as the highest monthly total of Trump’s second term, attention is likely to remain on whether ICE arrests continue at similar levels in the months ahead.
The next set of monthly figures will provide an indication of whether July represents a new sustained level of enforcement or a temporary peak.
For now, the 49,571 arrests recorded in July stand as the clearest indication yet of the scale of ICE activity under Trump’s second administration.
