ICE arrests under Trump top 602,000, DHS says, but some are skeptical

Published July 24, 2026 6:00am ET



Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested more than 602,000 illegal immigrants in the year and a half since President Donald Trump took office and unleashed a mass deportation operation, according to federal data shared with the Washington Examiner.

The 18-month figure, even when cut by one-third, blows past any one-year record high seen during previous administrations. The 602,000 arrests are also higher than the four-year total arrests seen during Trump’s first term or during former President Joe Biden‘s tenure.

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