US reports record 483,000 deportations in fiscal year 2026

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 13 Nov, 10:27 · Archive

The US deported 483,200 people in fiscal year 2026, the highest annual total in ICE's history.

The Department of Homeland Security announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported 483,200 people in fiscal year 2026, which ended on 30 September. This breaks all records in ICE's 23-year history, surpassing the previous record of 442,640 deportations in 2025.

ICE also reported more than 491,000 immigration arrests during the same period, including nearly 475,000 administrative arrests—arrests for civil violations rather than criminal charges. Both figures represent the highest totals in ICE's reported history. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the total arrests exceeded the combined figures for the three full fiscal years under the Biden administration, and deportations nearly matched them.

According to DHS, the new deportation total is approximately 18 per cent higher than the 409,849 removals recorded in fiscal year 2012 under the Obama administration. August 2026 set a new record for arrests with 50,925, marking the highest number for any single month in ICE history.

The announcement comes after President Trump acknowledged that parts of his deportation campaign may have gone too far, following Republican losses in recent elections. However, the administration has elevated Stephen Miller, an architect of restrictive immigration policies, to White House chief of staff.

A discrepancy has emerged in how the figures are counted. Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse reported that removals actually declined after Trump took office in January 2025, noting that DHS figures include people who voluntarily self-deported—something the administration has incentivized with free plane tickets and 3,000 dollars. Steven Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies noted ambiguity in the DHS figures, saying the data did not clarify what percentage involved interior enforcement versus border removals.

How it is being reported

• US reports record number of deportations and arrests in 2026ICE carried out 483,200 deportations in 2026. Democrats prepare to investigate tactics used.Al Jazeera · 13 Nov, 06:46
• DHS touts highest ICE deportations in history, as Mullin says agency has been ‘unleashed’DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced record ICE arrests and deportations in fiscal 2026, with arrests exceeding three Biden fiscal years combined.Fox News · 13 Nov, 02:54
• DHS says record number of illegal immigrants deported in past yearThe Trump administration said Thursday that it had deported a record number of illegal immigrants in the past year — with nearly a half-million people living in the US without legal permission forced to return to their homelands.New York Post · 12 Nov, 22:00
• ICE deportations and arrests hit record highNew Department of Homeland Security figures show more than 483,000 deportations and 491,000 immigration arrests in fiscal year 2026.CBS News · 12 Nov, 11:00

In this story: Immigration and Customs Enforcement · Department of Homeland Security · Donald Trump · Markwayne Mullin · Stephen Miller · United States

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