Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) set new records for illegal alien arrests and deportations in fiscal year 2026, which ended with September.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a press release on November 12 celebrating its successes. ICE confirmed over 491,000 immigration arrests and over 483,000 deportations, which set new records.
The previous deportation record was from FY2025, when ICE reported 442,640 deportations. DHS emphasized that the Biden administration engaged in scarcely any immigration enforcement at all, which is not in the least shocking since we know that the Biden-Harris administration deliberately encouraged millions of unvetted foreign nationals to pour into America and receive taxpayer-funded benefits.
From the DHS press release:
FY26’s deportation total is almost the same as all three full fiscal years under the Biden Administration (FY22, FY23, and FY24) combined, at 486,000. FY26’s total is also more than eight times the number of deportations in Biden’s first fiscal year, as FY21 saw just over 59,000 deportations… FY26’s arrest total is greater than the entirety of the three full fiscal years under the Biden Administration (FY22, FY23, and FY24) combined, at less than 427,000. It is also more than six times the number of arrests in Biden’s first fiscal year, as FY21 saw just over 74,000 arrests.
In September alone, ICE achieved 48,000 arrests and 44,000 removals.
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“I couldn’t be prouder of the brave men and women of ICE, who just broke more historic records,” said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “September 2026 was the best September in ICE’s history in terms of arrests.”
These numbers are particularly impressive when you understand that DHS accomplished these successes at a time when the leaders of numerous sanctuary states, cities, and counties, along with many thousands of violent rioters and dozens of activist groups, were doing everything they could to interfere with immigration enforcement. ICE faced more than a 1,600% increase in assaults and a 3,300% increase in vehicular attacks, besides an 8,000% increase in death threats against them, as of October, according to the agency. And yet despite all that, ICE arrested and deported more illegal aliens than ever before.
ILLEGAL ALIEN ARRESTED AFTER DRAGGING AND STRIKING ICE OFFICER WITH VEHICLE Jose Garnica-Naranjo, a Mexican illegal alien convicted of domestic violence and assault, refused to turn off his vehicle during a targeted ICE operation in Illinois. As officers attempted to remove him, he hit the gas with an officer partially inside the driver-side window, throwing him from the vehicle before striking him as he fled. The officer was hospitalized and has since been released. Garnica-Naranjo was arrested and is now in custody. This is the result of extremist, anti-American rhetoric from radical politicians that has driven a more than 1,600% increase in assaults against ICE officers. The men and women of ICE risk their lives every day to protect our homeland. Violence against our officers will NOT be tolerated. Anyone who assaults them WILL face justice.
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) November 12, 2026
Being an ICE officer is a very risky job because of both illegal alien criminals and domestic terrorists.