ICE Deported Record 483,200 in FY2026: Full Numbers & What They Mean
ICE deported 483,200 people in fiscal 2026, the most in the agency's history, as arrests passed 491,000 — but researchers dispute the record.
Image: Wikimedia Commons / DHSgov
WASHINGTON, November 14, 2026 — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported 483,200 people in the fiscal year ended September 30, the most in the agency's 23-year history, the Department of Homeland Security said on Wednesday, as arrests passed 491,000.
The figures put deportations 9 percent above the previous record of 442,640 in fiscal 2025 and 78 percent above the 271,480 recorded in fiscal 2024. The total nearly matched the 486,000 deportations across all three full fiscal years under President Joe Biden combined. "Fiscal Year 2026 saw the highest number of ICE deportations and arrests for any year in ICE's history," Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said.
Key Takeaways
- ICE deported 483,200 people in fiscal 2026, the highest annual total since the agency was created in 2003.
- Officers made more than 491,000 arrests, including nearly 475,000 administrative arrests, also a record.
- September 2026 was the best September for arrests, with more than 48,000 arrests and 44,000 removals.
- Researchers dispute the record: Syracuse University's TRAC says ICE case records show removals fell after Mr Trump took office.
How Many People Did ICE Deport in Fiscal Year 2026?
ICE deported 483,200 people in fiscal 2026, which ran from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026, according to the agency's release. Officers made more than 491,000 immigration arrests, including nearly 475,000 administrative arrests, by far the highest such total in ICE history.
August set a monthly record, with 50,925 arrests, and September followed with more than 48,000 arrests and 44,000 removals. As of the end of October, the department said it had deported nearly 1.2 million people and arrested more than 1.25 million since Mr Trump returned to office.
How Do the FY2026 ICE Deportation Numbers Compare With Past Years?
Deportations rose 63 percent from fiscal 2024 to fiscal 2025, then 9 percent from fiscal 2025 to fiscal 2026, as the rate of increase slowed sharply.
| Fiscal year | Deportations | Change on previous year |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 271,480 | — |
| 2025 | 442,640 | Up 63% |
| 2026 | 483,200 | Up 9% |
| 2022–2024 combined | 486,000 | — |
The total falls well short of Mr Trump's pledge to remove one million people a year; at the fiscal 2026 pace, deportations would reach roughly half that target. The drive has been a central political fight since the president tied migration to trade pressure on Mexico, and polling shows voters split on whether it has gone too far.
Why Researchers Dispute the Record ICE Deportation Claim
The record claim is contested. The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a nonpartisan research organisation at Syracuse University, says case-by-case ICE records obtained through freedom-of-information litigation show removals fell after Mr Trump took office in January 2025. Its records run through August 24, 2026, and come from the department's Enforcement Integrated Database, the official enforcement database.
The announcement gave no detailed breakdown, including how many of those deported had criminal histories, and the department has not released the case-level data behind the headline totals, so the numbers cannot be checked against the records the researchers hold. The department has not responded to their findings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people did ICE deport in fiscal year 2026?
ICE deported 483,200 people in fiscal 2026, the year ended September 30, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security said. It is the highest annual total in the agency's history, beating the 442,640 record set in fiscal 2025.
Is 483,200 the most deportations in US history?
It is the most in ICE's history, since the agency was created in 2003. The highest single-year figure on record was about 1.1 million in 1954, under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, when removals were run by the former Immigration and Naturalization Service.
How many people has ICE arrested under President Trump?
ICE made more than 491,000 arrests in fiscal 2026, including nearly 475,000 administrative arrests. As of the end of October, the department said it had arrested more than 1.25 million people and deported nearly 1.2 million since January 2025.
Did ICE deport one million people a year as promised?
No. The 483,200 deportations in fiscal 2026 amount to less than half of the one-million-a-year pledge. The department says more than three million migrants have left the United States since January 2025, a broader figure than deportations alone.
The department has not said when it will publish a detailed breakdown, including how many of those deported had criminal records. The next test comes with the fiscal 2027 first-quarter figures, due early next year.
