Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) notched unprecedented enforcement numbers during fiscal year 2026 under former President Donald Trump, according to newly released Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data. The agency recorded roughly 491,000 arrests and 483,000 deportations between October 2025 and September 2026—the highest annual figures in its history.
The deportation tally eclipsed the previous record of 442,640 set in fiscal 2025, while arrests during Trump’s term exceeded the total from all three full fiscal years under President Joe Biden. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin praised ICE personnel for breaking records, calling the September 2026 arrest totals the agency’s ‘best September ever.’
Contrast With Biden Years
The nearly 483,000 deportations under Trump nearly matched the combined 486,000 logged from fiscal 2022 through 2024 under Biden. Arrests during those three years totaled fewer than 427,000. ‘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 in a statement.
Trump’s Mixed Signals
Despite the aggressive enforcement, Trump suggested in a recent 60 Minutes interview that his administration’s deportation raids may have been excessive. ‘I think it was too tough. I think ultimately that hurt me,’ he said. The former president expressed willingness to negotiate with Democrats on immigration—including potential legal status for non-criminal undocumented workers—but insisted ‘there’s NO AMNESTY.’
Mullin separately indicated openness to permanent status for DACA recipients through congressional reform, ruling out any broad amnesty. The data arrives as Trump weighs post-midterm strategy after Republicans lost control of Congress, potentially forcing bipartisan talks on immigration policy.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-ice-just-blew-past-biden-on-arrests-and-thats-only-half-the-story