More than 43,000 people were booked into immigration detention in June 2026, marking the highest monthly total since President Trump returned to office, according to newly released data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The increase in arrests follows heightened pressure from the White House on ICE to boost enforcement, with agents reportedly instructed to target 2,000 arrests per day. June's arrest total averaged 1,438 arrests per day, while data from the first 11 days of July shows an average of 1,593 arrests per day.

ICE arrests have continued without the large-scale, highly publicized operations previously seen in cities like Minneapolis, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Monthly arrest totals had declined after the Minnesota crackdown, known as Operation Metro Surge, ended in February but have since rebounded.

Despite recent scrutiny following fatal shootings by ICE officers during vehicle stops in Texas and Maine, administration officials have indicated that deportation efforts will persist. Border czar Tom Homan affirmed on Fox News that "ICE isn't leaving the streets at all."

Homan also noted that "numbers were down for a few months because the department was shut down," referring to a congressional standoff earlier in 2026 over Homeland Security funding. He added in an interview with the Center for Immigration Studies on July 15, "The president made it clear this morning: He wants ICE out there doing their job, and that's what's gonna happen."

ICE data shows that as the detention population declined in the first five months of 2026, the non-criminal population fell by 36%, compared with a 3% decrease among those with criminal convictions and a 7% decrease among those with pending criminal charges.

Sources