New figures released by the Department of Homeland Security show that 43,138 illegal immigrants entered ICE detention facilities during June alone. The agency is now holding 65,765 individuals in federal immigration custody, with nearly two-thirds of that population taken into custody during the month.
White House Border Czar Tom Homan said June marked the most productive month in ICE’s history, highlighting the administration’s determination to fully enforce federal immigration law after years of what Republicans describe as weak enforcement under the previous administration.
Federal statistics show ICE averaged an impressive 1,438 arrests every day throughout June. That pace has continued to climb.
According to DHS, ICE officers averaged 1,593 arrests per day during the first 11 days of July, signaling that the agency remains on track to surpass June’s historic numbers if the trend continues. The White House also confirmed that immigration officers made roughly 10,000 arrests during one five-day period in June, underscoring the speed at which enforcement efforts have expanded.
“We’re turning up the heat on the streets,” Homan told reporters in Washington.
“We’re out there working harder than we ever have because we’ve empowered our law enforcement to do their job.”
According to a NewsNation report citing a source familiar with internal discussions, White House senior adviser Stephen Miller instructed ICE personnel to begin operating seven days a week after administration officials became dissatisfied with a temporary slowdown in arrest numbers. The move reflects the administration’s push to maximize enforcement activity and maintain constant operational pressure.
The White House says Congress has also provided the tools necessary to sustain the expanded effort. Administration officials credited the recently signed Secure America Act with giving DHS the financial resources needed to significantly scale up enforcement operations.
The legislation allocates approximately $70 billion to Department of Homeland Security agencies through 2029. Officials say those funds will support hiring additional immigration officers, expanding detention facilities, improving immigration court operations, and strengthening enforcement capabilities nationwide.
The latest DHS data also highlights a major shift in enforcement priorities. Nearly 89 percent of the individuals currently being held in ICE custody were arrested directly by ICE officers rather than transferred from U.S. Customs and Border Protection after illegally crossing the border. The figures suggest that interior enforcement has become the administration’s primary focus as agents pursue illegal immigrants already residing throughout the country.
Homan also indicated that New York City will soon become a major target for expanded enforcement operations.
His comments followed the arrest of 43-year-old Army veteran Andrew Arrabaca, who authorities say attacked a federal building in Lower Manhattan that houses ICE offices, the FBI, and a federal immigration court.
Federal officials also acknowledged two fatal officer-involved shootings that occurred during recent immigration operations. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was fatally shot in Houston, while Johan Sebastian Guerrero was killed during an enforcement action in Maine. DHS officials emphasized that neither individual was the original target of the operations.
The administration also pointed to the criminal histories of many detainees currently being held by ICE.
According to DHS, 19,329 individuals in custody have already been convicted of crimes, while another 20,247 face pending criminal charges. Those totals have continued to rise since April, when the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse reported 17,589 convicted criminals and 18,731 individuals with pending criminal cases in ICE detention.
The organization also found that nearly 24,000 additional detainees were being held solely for immigration-related violations.
Homan said current arrest totals are running roughly 40 percent higher than they were during the same period last year, crediting expanded funding, additional staffing, and stronger operational authority under President Trump.
Although he acknowledged that arrests briefly declined by approximately 12 to 16 percent during the recent government shutdown, Homan said ICE rapidly recovered once normal operations resumed.
“Our numbers are higher than they’ve ever been,” Homan said.
“I’m sick and tired of people saying we’re not doing enough because that’s an insult to every ICE agent that is strapping up every day and working six and seven days a week to get this done.”
