As Trump administration detractors continue protesting, blocking traffic and decrying “cruelty," ICE last month quietly arrested nearly 50,000 people – the highest monthly total of Trump’s second term. The protests keep coming as the numbers keep climbing. Outrage, it turns out, is not a policy.

Speaking about the $2,600 stipend given to illegal immigrants to voluntarily return to their home country, Tricia McLaughlin told Just The News, "I don't think that there is a country in history that's been so generous." 

McLaughlin, who served as the assistant secretary of public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, continued, "So I'm so thrilled to see that the Trump administration continues to be successful, and we know we have two more years that we can continue to get these 10 to 15 million illegal aliens out of the country."

On Thursday, the administration announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made 49,571 arrests in July, the highest monthly total of President Donald Trump’s second term, according to agency data provided to the Deportation Data Project and analyzed by the Associated Press. 

That was a 15% jump from 43,021 arrests in June and a 70% increase from 29,241 in February, after earlier city raids and fatal encounters in Minnesota sparked protests and a potentially souring public opinion on deportations. 

ICE reported more than 350,000 removals in fiscal 2026 through mid-July, putting the agency on pace to exceed recent annual totals. For the duration of Trump's second term through the present, total removals now sit in a range of roughly 500,000 to nearly 900,000, depending on whether voluntary departures and other returns are included, according to both independent analyses and DHS statements. 

Detention bookings have exceeded 610,000 since Trump's second-term inauguration.

Controversy led to efficiency 

Large demonstrations erupted last summer after ICE raids in Los Angeles, drawing solidarity protests in multiple cities and criticism from Democratic officials who called the operations intimidation. 

Nationwide “No Kings” rallies in October 2025 reportedly drew millions. Smaller “ICE Out” protests, school walkouts and vigils have continued into 2026, often organized by immigrant-rights groups, Indivisible chapters and socialist organizations. Elected Democrats have joined some marches and accused the administration of targeting people without criminal records.

Then, after January's fatal ICE-involved shootings in Minnesota sparked protests and a dip in arrests, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin shifted toward lower-profile tactics. Operations moved away from televised city raids toward traffic stops, immigration check-ins, courthouse arrests and partnerships with state and local police. 

During Mullin's Senate confirmation hearing earlier this year, he pledged to keep ICE out of the news headlines and said, "I do believe there is a better approach. ... There is an approach that can happen, but we need partners."

As a result, the figures show that enforcement has continued to rise even after the administration has reportedly shifted from high-profile urban operations to quieter tactics and partnerships with local police.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Texas and Florida – which rely heavily on 287(g) agreements that allow for joint operations between ICE and state and local law enforcement – accounted for a large share of July 2026 arrests. 

ICE also began focusing on individuals whose temporary protections, including Haitian Temporary Protective Status (TPS), had been revoked. Hiring continued, detention capacity expanded and arrests rebounded to record levels. 

The inception of the largest deportation operation in history

Upon entering office in 2025, Trump signed executive orders declaring a border emergency, expanding expedited removal nationwide and lifting Biden-era limits on interior enforcement. 

Officials set daily arrest targets that rose from 1,200 to as high as 3,000, directed ICE to operate at courthouses, workplaces and previously sensitive locations, and poured billions into hiring and detention beds. 

High-profile operations began in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis, as the administration also rapidly expanded 287(g) partnerships that deputize local police for immigration duties. Arrests more than quadrupled from late-Biden levels within months as the focus shifted from the border to people already living inside the country.