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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported a record 483,200 people in fiscal year 2026, surpassing the previous record of 442,640 set in 2025. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE also made over 491,000 immigration arrests, with nearly 475,000 being administrative arrests for civil violations rather than criminal charges.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin praised ICE's efforts, stating, "Fiscal Year 2026 saw the highest number of ICE deportations and arrests for any year in ICE’s history." The figures mark a significant expansion of immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump, who acknowledged in a "60 Minutes" interview that the crackdown may have been "too tough" in some cases.
The deportation total for 2026 was about 18% higher than the 409,849 removals recorded in 2012 and nearly 78% higher than the 271,484 deportations in 2024. Despite the record numbers, a CBS News analysis found that more than half of ICE arrests in July 2026 involved immigrants with neither criminal convictions nor pending charges.
The Trump administration has defended the campaign as a public safety mission, highlighting deportations involving individuals accused or convicted of serious crimes. However, the Migration Policy Institute reported that only about 20% of deportations between January 2025 and July 2026 involved someone with a criminal conviction.
The record figures come as Democrats prepare to take control of both chambers of Congress in January, with some voicing support for more scrutiny of the administration's immigration operations. President Trump expressed interest in working with congressional Democrats to create and pass immigration legislation, acknowledging the political toll of the crackdown.