WorldPosted at: Nov 12 2026 10:04PM


ICE deportations hit record high of 483,200 in 2026 amid growing immigration backlash

Washington, Nov 12 (UNI) US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported a record 483,200 people in the 2026 fiscal year, according to Department of Homeland Security figures, marking an escalation of President Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign even as public opposition to its enforcement methods grows.
The total, covering the fiscal year ending on September 30, surpasses the previous ICE record of 442,640 deportations in 2025, reports CBS News.
The agency also reported more than 491,000 immigration arrests during the year, including nearly 475,000 administrative arrests, another record. Administrative arrests involve alleged immigration violations rather than criminal charges.
The figures underline the scale of Trump's second-term enforcement drive, which has expanded federal immigration operations beyond the US border and into communities nationwide.
ICE reported 50,925 arrests in August, exceeding the previous monthly high set in July. The agency continued to make more than 48,000 arrests in September, according to DHS figures.
The 2026 deportation total was approximately 18% higher than the 409,849 recorded in fiscal year 2012 under former president Barack Obama and nearly 78% above the 271,484 recorded in 2024, the final full fiscal year of Joe Biden's presidency.
However, the figures require some qualification. ICE's deportation totals do not necessarily represent the number of formal removal orders executed, nor do they cover all government-wide deportations by ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The broader figures include voluntary departures and returns, while formal removals carry different legal consequences. Nationwide deportations under broader measures reached higher levels during parts of the early 2000s.
An analysis published on Wednesday by Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) found that formal removals accounted for 63% of deportations in July and August 2026, with the remainder involving voluntary departures and returns.
Its wider analysis of federal records also found that combined DHS deportations were projected to reach approximately 481,000 for the fiscal year, although the figures cover a different reporting period and use a broader government-wide dataset.
"I couldn't be prouder of the brave men and women of ICE, who just broke more historic records," DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on Thursday. He described 2026 as the agency's most successful year for arrests and deportations, crediting Trump's leadership for allowing ICE to target and remove people living illegally in the country.
The administration has consistently defended the campaign as a public safety operation, highlighting arrests and deportations involving people accused or convicted of serious crimes.
Among the cases cited by DHS were Mexican national Raul Genesis Ortiz Moran, charged with second-degree murder and aggravated sexual assault in connection with the death of a two-year-old girl in Virginia, and Honduran national Soili Xiomara Aparicio-Santos, who was deported in April after being convicted of attempting to murder her newborn son in New York.
However, such cases do not represent the wider population arrested under the campaign.
DHS maintains that immigrants without US criminal records may have criminal histories overseas or pose other security risks, and that immigration violations alone provide grounds for civil arrest and deportation.
The department has not publicly provided comprehensive evidence showing how many detainees without US criminal records have committed offences abroad.
A CBS News analysis of ICE arrests in July found that, for the first time during Trump's second term, more than half involved people with neither criminal convictions nor pending criminal charges. It also found that around 6% of those booked into ICE detention during the administration had convictions for violent crimes.
Separately, the non-partisan Migration Policy Institute found that only about 20% of approximately 980,000 deportations carried out collectively by ICE and CBP between January 2025 and July 2026 involved someone with a criminal conviction. Among those deported who had lived in the US for at least two years, 71% had no criminal conviction.
The figures come amid growing political resistance to the administration's enforcement policies.
CBS News exit polling from the November midterm elections found that 58% of voters believed the crackdown had gone too far, while 22% said it was about right and 20% thought it had not gone far enough.
Trump acknowledged the political cost of the campaign in a recent 60 Minutes interview, acknowledging that the crackdown had been "too tough". He said his administration had received strong marks for securing the border and removing dangerous criminals but faced criticism for deporting people who had lived in the country for years, held jobs and paid taxes.
He also expressed interest in working with congressional Democrats on immigration legislation, a notable shift in tone for a president who made mass deportations a central promise of his successful 2024 election campaign.
Despite the midterm losses suffered by Republicans, there are few indications that the administration intends to reduce enforcement. Stephen Miller, a longtime adviser and architect of many of Trump's restrictive immigration policies, has been appointed White House chief of staff.
Administration officials told CBS News they did not expect the crackdown to slow down. ICE officials have reportedly been instructed to target approximately 19,000 arrests a week, substantially above the agency's previous operational pace.
Democrats are preparing to take control of both chambers of Congress in January, with some members signalling plans to scrutinise immigration enforcement operations, spending and detention practices.
Their ability to force changes, however, could be limited by funding already approved for the campaign and Trump's power to veto legislation.
A tax and spending law signed by Trump in July 2025 allocated approximately $170 billion for immigration enforcement and border security, including $75 billion in additional funding for ICE.
Of that amount, $45 billion was earmarked for expanding detention capacity, while nearly $30 billion was set aside for arrests, transportation, deportations and additional personnel.
Trump's immigration message has long centred on restoring control of the US border and enforcing existing laws. But the fall in unauthorised border crossings, combined with the expansion of interior enforcement, has shifted the debate towards how those laws are being applied.
The administration now faces growing questions over whether its record enforcement drive can retain public support as concerns mount about the treatment of immigrants who have lived and worked in the country for years.
UNI ANV RN
Tags: #ICE deportations hit record high of 483#200 in 2026 amid growing immigration backlash
More News

Ukraine says renewed Starshield disruptions hindering ability to intercept Russian drones

12 Nov 2026 | 11:26 PM

Kyiv, Nov 12 (UNI) Ukraine has accused renewed speed restrictions on Starshield, SpaceX’s military satellite communications service, of disrupting its ability to intercept Russian drones, allowing some attacks to get through.

see more..

ICE deportations hit record high of 483,200 in 2026 amid growing immigration backlash

12 Nov 2026 | 10:04 PM

Washington, Nov 12 (UNI) US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported a record 483,200 people in the 2026 fiscal year, according to Department of Homeland Security figures, marking an escalation of President Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign even as public opposition to its enforcement methods grows.

see more..

Jensen Huang resigns as Nvidia CEO after 33 years amid revelations of extramarital affairs

12 Nov 2026 | 9:42 PM

Santa Clara, Nov 12 (UNI) Jensen Huang has resigned as Nvidia's president and chief executive with immediate effect, ending his 33-year tenure at the chipmaker amid the recent revelations about his two extramarital relationships, including one with a woman suspected by US intelligence of having links to Chinese espionage, reports Euronews.

see more..

Netanyahu rejects responsibility for worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza post torrential floods in refugee camps

12 Nov 2026 | 9:30 PM

Jerusalem, Nov 12 (UNI) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected responsibility for the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza after torrential rains flooded refugee camps, damaging thousands of tents sheltering Palestinians displaced by the war.

see more..

Xi Jinping renews Taiwan reunification call, says 'tide of history cannot be stopped'

12 Nov 2026 | 7:57 PM

Beijing, Nov 12 (UNI) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday renewed his call for Taiwan's reunification with mainland China, describing it as an "unwavering historical mission" of the Chinese Communist Party while reiterating Beijing's preference for a peaceful resolution.

see more..