The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released long-awaited detention data on July 20, revealing that immigration enforcement in the interior of the country has intensified under Secretary Markwayne Mullin. The report follows a three-month-long delay, which stands as the longest in the agency's recent history, and confirms that ICE arrests have hit record levels. The data also indicates a rise in the number of people in detention, notably reversing a previous dip in the number of detainees who have no criminal record.
According to a compilation of historical files, the average daily number of individuals booked into detention from ICE arrests climbed to over 1,300 in June. This figure represents a 32% increase since April, which was Mullin’s first full month in office, and stands as the highest monthly total recorded since 2021. While the volume of arrests has grown significantly, the pace of removals has remained roughly flat, and the total number of people in detention has trended upward following a reversal that occurred after deadly shootings in Minneapolis in January.
The release of this data comes amid intense scrutiny of the agency’s operations. Earlier in 2026, high-profile enforcement actions in several cities sparked public outcry, demands for increased accountability and transparency, and a months-long legislative stalemate regarding agency funding. Recent fatal shootings in Texas and Maine have further intensified the national spotlight on the agency. Ariel Ruiz Soto, a senior policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, noted that while the agency’s strategies have shifted to become less publicly visible—at least until the recent deaths—the overall outcomes of these enforcement tactics remain consistent with previous approaches. Ruiz Soto observed that previous tactics were more visual and controversial, often targeting cities that pushed back against the Trump administration, whereas current strategies are less visible but yield similar results.
Transparency concerns continue to shadow the agency on multiple fronts. The data published on July 20 marked more than 100 days since the previous update in April, pushing the average interval between data releases in 2026 to 42 days, which is nearly three times the historical schedule. Through 2025, which was President Trump’s first year back in office, and the four years prior, ICE had been relatively consistent about publishing data roughly every two weeks in accordance with a congressional mandate. David Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, criticized the delay, stating that the public was essentially left in the dark for months regarding the administration’s strategy and actions. Bier welcomed the eventual release but emphasized that high-level information is insufficient for a full assessment of enforcement activities.
In addition to the reporting delays, the recent back-to-back fatal shootings have raised questions about why agents were not wearing body cameras, despite previous promises by federal authorities to equip officers nationwide with the technology. In response to these concerns, White House border czar Tom Homan announced on July 19 that ICE will now require its officers to record vehicle stops using at least one body camera. Despite this policy adjustment, critics like Bier maintain that the agency's failure to be forthcoming and regular with its mandated data releases reflects a broader lack of transparency that limits public oversight.
