ICE Increases Arrests Amid Expanded Immigration Crackdown

Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, announced that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is on track to set arrest records for the second month in a row. This effort is part of the administration’s intensified immigration enforcement campaign, which Homan described as ‘deportation-maxxing.’ ICE achieved its highest monthly arrest totals in history for June, with July anticipated to exceed those figures.

‘In June, we had the highest numbers of arrests in the history of the agency of ICE, and July’s tracking even beat that. So we’re hitting all cylinders now,’ Homan discussed in his interview with NewsNation on Wednesday. He emphasized the commitment to continue maximizing deportations as the agency operates with complete funding.

“We’re deportation-maxxing. Since we’re fully funded, we just got to keep going. I know that this administration was put under enormous pressure as a result of the previous administration letting in tens of millions of people … we had no idea who they were,” he stated.

Homan elaborated that the term ‘maxxing’ is internet slang referring to optimizing something to its fullest potential. This aligns with online terms like ‘looksmaxxing’, focusing on enhancing physical appearance to the utmost degree.

Challenges and Data

The administration has faced over 100 court injunctions affecting immigration detentions and deportations, adding to the challenges ICE encounters. Civil liberties groups, immigration attorneys, and some lawmakers have criticized ICE’s actions during its mass deportation campaign, including fatal incidents during operations.

Recent ICE statistics reveal an upward trend in enforcement activities. After a three-month reporting gap, newly released data show increasing detention figures. ICE was holding 65,765 detainees as of July 11, up from about 60,300 in early April, with rising arrest numbers indicating ongoing enforcement expansion.

Daily arrests averaged 1,474 in the first 11 days of July, surpassing June’s daily average of over 1,300, as per analysis by Austin Kocher, a Syracuse University researcher. Current data also highlight a rise in detainees without criminal backgrounds, forming the largest group under ICE detention.

Immigration judges have ordered the release of thousands of detainees since January, including over 2,000 releases just in May. Researchers noted an increase in detainees held solely on immigration charges with a decrease in those with criminal records.

Body Camera Policy and Recent Concerns

Two fatal shootings during ICE operations in traffic stops have intensified scrutiny on enforcement practices. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was killed in Houston on July 7, and Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero died during a traffic stop in Biddeford, Maine, on July 13. These incidents occurred without activated body cameras, prompting calls for mandatory use of the devices.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that at least one ICE officer in future traffic operations will wear a body camera. ICE has already procured cameras and begun officer training. The implementation is expected as ICE advances its nationwide enforcement surge.

“I am a big proponent of bodycams. Always have been. They exonerate officers. But also I want the public to see what that officer sees when they take some action. The American people will see exactly what he sees in real time,” Homan shared with NewsNation.

Following these incidents, the Trump administration briefly halted most ICE vehicle stops, resuming them the next day amid changes in body camera directives. ICE has expanded body camera use over the years, initially issued under a 2022 executive order by former President Joe Biden aimed at increasing accountability and transparency.

An ICE memo from February 2025 described cameras as advantageous tools. A rise in high-profile enforcement shootings in Minneapolis and persistent advocacy led to Homeland Security’s decision to broaden camera deployment across ICE operations. Kristi Noem, then-Homeland Security Secretary, announced in 2026 plans for rapid acquisition and deployment of body cameras as funding allowed.

Contact Newsweek editor on this story: Edward Pearcey.