ICE deporting over 1,400 illegal immigrants per day

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is detaining illegal immigrants at a record pace, and is currently deporting more than 1,400 per day, according to new figures released this week by the Department of Homeland Security.

ICE currently has more than 59,000 people in custody, with arrests averaging 930 per day and deportations surging to a record rate of 1,400 daily over the past two weeks. For most of June and July, ICE detention levels stood at about 57,000.

The numbers represent a stark contrast to the Biden administration, when daily ICE arrests averaged just 215 to 400 and deportations hovered between 500 and 700 per day in its final months. At the current pace, ICE is on track to deport more than half a million people this year, surpassing the record for formal deportations set in 2012 under Barack Obama, according to The Washington Times.

Despite the record-high pace, the total remains below the one million deportations goal some within the Trump administration have suggested.

The surge comes after Congress passed the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which allocated tens of billions of dollars in new funding for ICE operations, including expanded detention capacity. The increased funding will address a number of concerns being raised about detention center conditions. A federal judge this week ordered improvements to a New York facility after reports that migrants were forced to sleep on the floor.

“Fueled by $45 billion in funding, more people are being held in immigration custody than ever before in U.S. history,” said the American Immigration Council on Friday. “But as the Trump administration increases detention capacity, concerns are rising about a strained system that has led to mistaken deportations, deteriorating detention conditions, and a lack of basic due process protections.”

Border security has played a role in shifting enforcement priorities. Last month, US Border Patrol apprehended just 4,600 individuals along the southern border, down sharply from 56,000 in July 2024. Of those, 2,200 were placed into expedited removal. With fewer new arrivals at the border, ICE has focused its efforts on enforcement within US cities, contributing to the high detention and deportation levels.