The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recorded 483,200 deportations in fiscal 2026, an agency record as Democrats prepare to scrutinize President Donald Trump’s enforcement drive in Congress.
DHS said the total was the highest annual tally in ICE’s 23-year history. The department put the prior peak at 442,640 deportations in 2025 and reported more than 491,000 immigration arrests for fiscal 2026. ICE recorded 50,925 arrests in August and more than 48,000 in September.
Steven Camarota, research director at the Center for Immigration Studies, told Al Jazeera the figures did not let him compare enforcement inside the United States with other removals of people from the country or travelers turned away at a border or airport. He said increased removals can encourage people to return home, which he described as a central aim of the administration. EconoTimes previously covered a separate estimate of the U.S. deportation pace.
Reuters/Ipsos polling cited by Al Jazeera showed Trump’s approval of his immigration approach at 38%, compared with 50% when he entered office. Al Jazeera also reported that federal immigration agents shot and killed U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis during a January enforcement surge. The outlet said witnesses filmed both shootings.
Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat expected to chair the House Homeland Security Committee, said in a statement to Reuters that he plans to investigate administration actions involving DHS. He said the inquiry would examine what he characterized as the administration’s use of the department against Americans and its immigration policies. At a Capitol news conference, Texas Democrat Henry Cuellar said he had discussed focusing deportations on criminals with Trump administration officials and said Democrats would avoid an extreme approach.
In a recent CBS “60 Minutes” interview, Trump said some people viewed his immigration policies as overly harsh while defending his record. Democrats are expected to take control of Congress next year, when Thompson is expected to lead the House committee.
