ICE Arrests 50,000 in August 2026 Surge

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested about 50,000 people in August 2026. This figure, based on preliminary government data, extends a nationwide enforcement surge at roughly the same pace as the previous month.

July had set the record. Its final total reached 49,571 arrests, the highest monthly count of President Donald Trump's second term. The agency's campaign has become less visible than the city-by-city operations that drew attention earlier in the year.

Arrests now increasingly occur at airports, courthouses, and immigration check-ins. ICE has also pulled back from some of its most publicized tactics after public backlash, including actions in Minneapolis.

July arrests set a record pace

The monthly figures show how quickly enforcement grew during 2026. July's total stood about 15% above June and 70% above February. More than 800 people without criminal records were arrested each day on average that month.

The pace made July the peak. August then held near that level, according to preliminary data.

Civil violations dominate arrests

July also marked a significant shift in who was being detained. It was the first month of the second Trump administration in which people accused only of civil immigration violations represented more than half of those arrested.

The strongest increases occurred in Democratic-led states. Texas and Florida together accounted for nearly 20,000 July arrests, placing the two states at the center of the campaign.

The White House was pushing the agency toward a daily target of 2,000 arrests. July's average exceeded 1,580, but remained below that stated goal. A data project at U.C. Berkeley and UCLA obtained the underlying figures through the Deportation Data Project.

Enforcement shifts to quieter methods

The administration has increasingly relied on local law enforcement through 287(g) partnerships. These arrangements have helped shift activity away from highly visible operations and into routine encounters with government systems.

The pattern appeared in Virginia and Maryland. There, more than 1,300 people were arrested over just two weeks. Enforcement has affected daily routines and local behavior in communities where arrests increased.

The campaign's reach has produced what observers described as "economies of fear." People encounter the enforcement effort not only during major operations, but also around court appearances, airport travel and immigration appointments.

The change in visibility has not reduced the arrest pace. It has altered where people see it. The August count came as the administration pursued broader interior enforcement nationwide, with the final tally still pending.