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Immigration · Report · File No. 261112-490

ICE reports record 483,200 deportations and 491,000 arrests in fiscal year 2026

New Department of Homeland Security figures show the highest enforcement totals in ICE history. They come as Democrats prepare to take over Congress, and officials say the pace will not slow.

By the National Desk · · 3 min read

Every quote in this story (2) was matched word for word against its source. How we work

My clippings
Markwayne Mullin
Markwayne Mullin. Photo: U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Public domain

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported a record 483,200 people in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, according to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) figures obtained by CBS News 1. The old record was 442,640, set in fiscal year 2025 1.

ICE also reported more than 491,000 immigration arrests, including nearly 475,000 administrative arrests 1. Those are arrests for civil immigration violations, not criminal charges 1.

What DHS says

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin released the numbers Thursday. He said the total number of ICE arrests was more than all three full fiscal years under President Biden combined 1.

Markwayne Mullin
Fiscal Year 2026 saw the highest number of ICE deportations and arrests for any year in ICE's history.
Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of Homeland Security, Republican1

DHS says the total is about 18% above the 409,849 removals recorded in fiscal year 2012 under President Obama, and nearly 78% above the 271,484 recorded in fiscal year 2024 1. ICE made 50,925 arrests in August alone, a monthly high, and was still above 48,000 a month in September 1.

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Who is being arrested

The administration says it targets the "worst of the worst" 1. DHS pointed to cases such as a Mexican national charged with second-degree murder in Virginia, a charge the Louisa County Sheriff's Office confirmed 1. CBS noted that such cases are not representative of hundreds of thousands of arrests 1.

A CBS News analysis found that in July 2026, more than half of ICE arrests involved people with no criminal convictions or pending charges. It was the first month that happened in Mr. Trump's second term 1. The nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute found that only about 20% of roughly 980,000 deportations by ICE and Customs and Border Protection from January 2025 to July 2026 involved someone with a criminal conviction 1. An Associated Press report on that study said most deportees have never been convicted of a crime 2.

The count has caveats. A Syracuse University research group, TRAC, found that formal removals made up just 63% of deportations in July and August 2026. The rest were voluntary departures and returns 1.

Voters and the president

In CBS News exit polling from the midterms, 58% of voters said the administration's immigration enforcement had gone too far. Another 22% said it was about right, and 20% said it had not gone far enough 1.

Donald Trump
I think it was too tough
Donald Trump, President of the United States, Republican1

Mr. Trump said that in a "60 Minutes" interview. He also said he would like to work with congressional Democrats on immigration legislation 1. But he has made Stephen Miller, a longtime advocate of higher arrest targets, his White House chief of staff 1.

What happens next

Administration officials told CBS News they do not expect the crackdown to slow after the election 1. ICE officials have been told to aim for about 19,000 arrests a week, a target set before the midterms 1.

Democrats take control of both chambers in January, and some want more scrutiny of ICE operations, spending and tactics 1. Their power to force changes may be limited. The July 2025 tax and spending law gave ICE $75 billion, including $45 billion for detention, and Mr. Trump holds a veto 1.

That matters because the record numbers set the baseline for the next fight. Democrats will have to decide whether to use their oversight powers or negotiate a deal, with the money already provided and a veto pen in the White House. The administration has said it wants 1 million deportations a year once Congress provided the funding 2.

The Record

  1. A tax and spending law signed in July 2025 gave ICE about $75 billion, including $45 billion for detention 1.
  2. Fiscal year 2026 ended with 483,200 ICE deportations and more than 491,000 arrests, per DHS 1.
  3. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin released the record figures; officials say the pace will continue 1.
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Sources

  1. CBS News, “ICE deportations and arrests hit record high” (2026-11-12). cbsnews.com/news/ice-deportations-arrests-hit-record-high/
  2. AP (via ClickOnDetroit), “Deportations climb under Trump but fall short of White House target, a new report finds” (2026-10-22). clickondetroit.com/news/politics/2026/10/22/deportations-cli

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