U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested a record number of individuals in recent months amid President Donald Trump’s intensified enforcement campaign, even as public criticism grows ahead of the November midterm elections. Agency data show that ICE detained 43,138 people in June, averaging nearly 1,400 daily, with July projected to surpass 50,000 detentions by month’s end.

This surge in arrests has coincided with increased use of aggressive tactics, some resulting in fatalities. In recent weeks, ICE agents fatally shot two men: Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican immigrant in Houston, and Joan Sebastian Durán Guerrero, a Colombian national in Maine. Both deaths occurred during attempts by agents to stop the men’s vehicles, drawing national attention and renewed scrutiny of the agency’s methods.

Earlier in the year, ICE’s immigration efforts reached a critical point following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, by federal immigration officers in Minnesota. Both incidents, captured on video, sparked widespread outrage and led to the removal of Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary. She was replaced by Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, who during his confirmation pledged to reduce ICE’s prominence in negative headlines.

Under Mullin’s leadership, ICE adjusted its approach, focusing on lower-profile arrests at locations such as courts and traffic stops to minimize public backlash. However, the recent deaths have intensified concerns about enforcement methods. Mullin temporarily suspended the use of traffic stops for detentions, a move quickly overruled by Trump, who called for a resumption of aggressive enforcement, asserting that such restrictions would empower criminals.

The enforcement increase comes amid a significant decline in border apprehensions, which former ICE acting director John Sandweg noted have dropped drastically since Trump's presidency began. With fewer apprehensions at the border, ICE has redirected efforts toward locating undocumented immigrants and individuals with criminal records in the interior, although data indicate that about 40 percent of recent detainees have no prior convictions or pending charges.

This enforcement escalation has placed ICE in a difficult position, caught between adhering to presidential directives and managing growing public disapproval. Public opinion on the issue remains deeply divided. A recent survey found that 44 percent of registered voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of immigration, an improvement from 62 percent disapproval earlier in the year. Nonetheless, support for ICE has weakened following the recent shootings; a separate poll indicated that 58 percent of Americans aware of the incidents favor abolishing the agency.

As the administration prepares for the midterm elections, experts suggest that ICE will attempt to maintain deportation targets while minimizing public controversies. Gil Kerlikkowske, former commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, characterized the strategy as an effort to avoid negative headlines in an election year rather than a shift away from aggressive enforcement goals.