The Trump administration deported close to half a million undocumented immigrants in fiscal year 2026, setting a new record for removals and dramatically outpacing enforcement under President Joe Biden, according to newly released ICE data.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported 483,000 deportations in 2026 β the highest single-year total in the agency’s history. The figure represents an eightfold increase over Biden’s first year in office, when fewer than 60,000 removals were recorded.
Historic Enforcement Surge
The 2026 numbers continue an upward trend under Trump, surpassing the previous record of 442,640 deportations set by his administration in 2025. The data does not distinguish between border removals and interior enforcement operations.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the brave men and women of ICE, who just broke more historic records,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement. “Fiscal Year 2026 saw the highest number of ICE deportations and arrests for any year in ICE’s history.”
Arrests Also Hit Record High
ICE simultaneously reported unprecedented arrest numbers, taking 491,000 undocumented immigrants into custody during the fiscal year. The tally includes 475,000 administrative arrests for civil immigration violations.
August 2026 alone saw 50,000 arrests β a monthly record for the agency. Mullin noted the full-year arrest total exceeded the combined figures from Biden’s three complete fiscal years in office.
“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, ICE has been unleashed to target and remove illegal aliens so that we can save American lives,” Mullin said.
The data release comes as congressional Republicans push for greater transparency on immigration enforcement under the Trump administration’s second term.
Source: www.breitbart.com β https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/11/12/trump-admin-breaks-deportation-records-removing-almost-half-million-illegals-us/