U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested approximately 51,000 individuals in July, according to sources familiar with the data. This figure represents the largest number of arrests in a single month in the history of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The agency has reportedly been increasing its enforcement operations across the country. In July, ICE arrested more than 30 individuals at airports, according to agency data. Some of those detained in these operations have not had criminal records and possessed valid work authorization or parole documents, an immigration attorney told ABC News.
DHS has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the reported July numbers. For the current fiscal year, DHS announced in June that deportations had reached a total of 356,389.
Some supporters of former President Donald Trump have stated that the current arrest numbers should be more widely publicized and that enforcement measures do not go far enough. Mike Howell, president of the Trump-aligned Oversight Project, told ABC News that deportation numbers remain disproportionately low compared to the number of individuals who entered the country under the Biden administration. He expressed concern that inflated deportation statistics could be used by an "amnesty lobby" to advocate for broader immigration reform. Howell stated he is pursuing legal action against DHS to obtain more comprehensive data.