ICE arrests reach nearly 50,000 in July, highest under Trump's second term

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested nearly 50,000 people in July, the highest single monthly arrest total during President Donald Trump's second administration, according to figures released Tuesday.

The arrest count of 49,571 represents a 15 percent increase from June, when ICE made 43,021 arrests, and a 70 percent jump from February, when the agency arrested 29,241 people following high-profile operations in Minnesota, according to government data provided to the Deportation Data Project at the University of California, Berkeley, and analyzed by The Associated Press.

The July figures show the administration has continued to advance its mass deportations agenda despite a tactical shift earlier in the year. In the initial months of Trump's second term, ICE conducted high-profile operations in large American cities that generated significant public outcry. The agency has since moved toward arrests that have attracted less public attention while maintaining operational intensity.

For comparison, immigration arrests in the month before Trump's inauguration in January 2026 numbered above 8,000, a figure composed largely of immigrants transferred from local jails and prisons.

The data reflects the government's sustained focus on immigration enforcement as a central policy priority. Officials said the shift in operational approach—from visible raids in major urban centers to more discrete arrests—has allowed the administration to continue expanding its deportation efforts while reducing the visibility that previously sparked public controversy.

The monthly arrest totals have shown significant volatility since Trump took office in January 2026, with July's figure representing the peak reached so far under his second administration.