Key facts
- Immigrant arrests in July reached 49,571, the highest number since October 2022.
- July saw a 15% increase in arrests compared to June, setting a new record.
- A majority of those arrested in July (51%) had no prior criminal convictions.
- Nearly 34,000 immigrants were removed from the US in July, the highest figure since the start of the second Trump administration.
- The Department of Homeland Security is working to achieve a goal of 2,000 daily arrests.
The Trump administration has arrested and deported a record number of immigrants in July, according to newly released government data. The Deportation Data Project reported 49,571 arrests last month, the highest figure since October 2022 and a 15% increase from June. Notably, July marked the first month where the majority of arrestees, 51%, had no prior criminal convictions or charges.
Removals also reached a record high in July, with nearly 34,000 individuals deported, the most since the beginning of the second Trump administration. This surge in enforcement is reportedly fueled by a $70 billion funding increase for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE and the border patrol. The agency is working towards a goal of 2,000 daily arrests.
Immigrants are being apprehended through various means, including mandated appointments at ICE offices, traffic stops, outside their homes, and at airports. Attorneys and immigrant advocates, such as Melissa Shepard, director of legal services at ImmDef, note that while the high-profile, militarized raids have decreased, enforcement operations are being conducted on a quieter, more widespread scale. Shepard indicated that even clients with pending or valid immigration statuses are being advised to avoid flying due to increased enforcement.
Attorneys are also advising Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders to apply for other forms of immigration relief, particularly after the Supreme Court allowed the administration to strip TPS from Haitians and Syrians. The administration has focused enforcement in areas like Springfield, Ohio, where many Haitians with TPS have settled, leading to some being fitted with ankle monitors. The first deportation flight to Haiti since the Supreme Court decision has already landed.
Furthermore, ICE's enforcement powers have been amplified by the expanding 287(g) program, which deputizes local law enforcement agencies. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin described the program as a crucial partnership for conducting enforcement in a "more quiet way." Advocates are recalibrating their methods for tracking these less conspicuous arrests and assisting those detained.