In July, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recorded the highest number of arrests in a single month since the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), detaining some 51,000 people, according to data confirmed by a senior agency official and sources familiar with the figures.

The increase reflects the intensification of the immigration strategy promoted by President Donald Trump's administration, which has pushed to increase the pace of arrests to reach an average of 2,000 arrests per day. In June, ICE had already reported around 43,000 arrests, a figure that then represented a maximum during the current administration.

Although the July data has not yet been officially published by the DHS, various sources agree that it represents the highest volume of arrests recorded in a single month in the agency's history.

The increase also coincides with an expansion of immigration operations in different parts of the country, including airports. According to information from the agency, during July more than 30 people were detained in air terminals as part of the new immigration control actions.

Arrests increase at airports and other parts of the country

Immigration lawyers have warned that some of the people arrested at airports had valid work permits or valid parole documents, in addition to having no criminal record.

“DHS reversed the disastrous Biden-era policy that allowed undocumented immigrants to travel across the country,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated. "Under President Trump, DHS will no longer tolerate this practice. This administration is working diligently to ensure that undocumented immigrants cannot fly unless it is for voluntary deportation."

So far, DHS has not publicly responded to requests for comment on the record arrest numbers reported during July. In June, the agency reported that the total number of deportations carried out during the current fiscal year amounted to 356,389, according to official ICE statistics.

Criticism persists over the scope of the operations

While the administration defends the tightening of immigration policy, civil organizations and specialists have questioned the profile of many of the detained people. A recent study from the University of Colorado at Boulder found that only 34% of those arrested by ICE since January 2025 had been convicted of a crime.

The expansion of operations has also raised concerns about the increase in incidents related to the use of force. Data collected by The Trace portal indicates that since the beginning of the current government, at least 30 cases have been recorded in which ICE agents shot at civilians, leaving eight people dead. Additionally, some 55 people have died in immigration custody, 22 of them during 2026.

In this context, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, requested an independent investigation into the deaths recorded in ICE custody and questioned the “lack of transparency” around these cases. At the same time, allies of President Trump consider that the arrest numbers are still insufficient.

“The numbers will remain low until workplace enforcement is a central pillar of the strategy,” said Mike Howell, president of the Oversight Project, who is pursuing a lawsuit to obtain more detailed information about DHS immigration operations.

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