ICE Sets All-Time Records: 483,200 Deported, Arrests Nearly Double

Authored by AG News Staff via American Greatness,

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested and deported more people over the last year than at any point in its 23-year history, the agency announced Thursday, according to an Associated Press report published by ABC News.

ICE deported 483,200 people in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. That was 9% more than the previous record of 442,640 set a year earlier, and 78 percent more than the 271,480 deported in 2024, the final year of Joe Biden's presidency.

Arrests rose even faster. ICE made 474,850 arrests in the most recent 12-month period, roughly double the 239,890 from the year before and more than four times the 113,430 recorded in 2024.

"Thanks to President Trump's leadership, ICE has been unleashed to target and remove illegal aliens so that we can save American lives," said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

The agency made more than 48,000 arrests in September, following two straight months of record highs that peaked at 50,925 in August.

It is the first time ICE has released such precise figures since Trump returned to the White House, including for 2025. The press release did not break down how many of those arrested or deported had criminal records, something previous administrations had reported.

The numbers mark a dramatic turnaround from the Biden years, when millions crossed the southern border and interior enforcement was sharply scaled back. Trump campaigned on carrying out the largest deportation operation in American history, and the latest figures show the administration is following through.

Supporters say the results speak for themselves. Removing people who entered or stayed in the country illegally restores the rule of law, protects American workers and communities, and discourages others from attempting to cross the border illegally in the first place.

The administration has faced heavy resistance along the way. Democratic governors and mayors in sanctuary jurisdictions have refused to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, and activist judges have repeatedly tried to slow enforcement through lawsuits and injunctions. ICE officers have also faced protests and threats while carrying out their duties.