Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has significantly increased arrests this summer, detaining thousands of individuals without prior criminal records, according to newly released federal data analyzed through August 5. The surge marks a broadening of ICE’s enforcement focus beyond the agency’s earlier emphasis on immigrants with criminal convictions.

In June and July, ICE recorded a total of approximately 92,000 arrests, with monthly tallies of 43,000 and 49,000 respectively—figures that approach or exceed previous highs for the agency. Notably, the majority of those detained in July were accused of civil immigration violations rather than criminal offenses, with fewer than 4 percent possessing past convictions for violent crimes. Among those arrested were people legally present in the United States pursuing asylum claims, individuals married to U.S. citizens, and others holding temporary legal statuses now subject to revocation under current policies.

Two fatal shootings involving ICE agents in Texas and Maine drew public criticism but did not appear to reduce enforcement activity. Department of Homeland Security officials have maintained that anyone residing in the country unlawfully remains a target, framing their approach as fulfilling the administration’s commitment to arrest and deport individuals deemed criminals or otherwise unlawfully present.

Since Markwayne Mullin’s confirmation as Homeland Security secretary in spring 2024, ICE has shifted toward what agency leaders describe as “quieter but more effective” enforcement. The agency now aims for roughly 2,000 daily arrests, a goal made possible in part by substantial growth in personnel—from about 21,000 agents at the start of the Trump administration to 29,000 as of June. Resource investments have also expanded detention capacity and strengthened partnerships with state and local law enforcement.

ICE has increasingly leveraged local police through its 287(g) program, which deputizes officers to carry out immigration arrests. This program now accounts for approximately 14 percent of the agency’s arrests nationally and plays an outsized role in smaller states like Wyoming and West Virginia, where more than half of ICE arrests stem from 287(g) participation. States with large undocumented populations such as Florida and Texas have experienced the steepest arrest increases, with daily detentions rising by over 100 in each state since spring. Texas records more than 380 arrests per day, while Florida sees over 230.

Surges in arrests have also occurred in states governed by both Republican and Democratic leadership, including New Jersey and New Mexico, despite the latter enacting laws to limit local cooperation with ICE. Across the country, ICE detention numbers, which initially declined under Mullin, have begun to rise again. Although the agency has not reached its expanded capacity goal of 100,000 detention beds, several new facilities are opening this fall, and plans to convert warehouses into detention centers could further increase space.

Deportations continue at a rapid pace, averaging well over 1,000 removals per day since last summer. Deportation flights have increased notably since spring 2024, with July seeing a record 329 flights out of the U.S., according to monitoring groups tracking ICE activity. The data collectively indicate a concerted effort by ICE to intensify immigration enforcement nationwide through expanded resources, increased local partnerships, and broadened criteria for arrests.