ICE Sets Arrest Record as Deportation Efforts Face New Challenges
Posted on09/19/26 at 17:06
- ICE increases arrests
- Court limits deportations
- Salazar questions operations
Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown is facing a paradox: ICE is arresting tens of thousands of people, but deporting them quickly is becoming more complex.
Current operations have also sparked an unexpected dispute within the Republican Party, after Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar publicly questioned their scope.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responded that it will continue to enforce immigration laws and ruled out granting amnesty to undocumented immigrants.
As the federal court imposes new limits on deportations to third countries and arrests reach historic levels, criticism continues to rise.
ICE Breaks Arrest Record and Faces New Limits
Salazar stated that immigration control efforts had gone «too far» and directed her complaint directly to President Trump.
The Republican represents Florida’s 27th District, a Miami area with a large Latino population, and has supported key parts of the presidential agenda.
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According to Salazar, approximately half of those detained by ICE in July had no criminal record, a change that broadens the debate on the priorities of the operations.
Government data analyzed by the Deportation Data Project also show a strong growth in arrests and a greater presence of people without a criminal history among those detained.
Court Sets Limits on Deportations to Third Countries
The second front for the Trump Administration is in the courts and directly affects a tool used to accelerate certain expulsions.
The First Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed on September 18 that migrants must receive effective notice before deportation to a third country.
Additionally, they must have a significant opportunity to raise fears of persecution or torture in the destination proposed by immigration authorities.
Judge Seth Aframe noted in the decision that these protections lose effectiveness if the migrant is unaware of the country to which the government intends to send them.
ICE Arrests Grow, but Deportation May Take Longer
The third element is operational: ICE made 50,925 arrests in August, after a strong increase in previous months.
However, detaining a person does not automatically mean deporting them, especially when there are pending immigration proceedings, protection claims, or other resources.
The Deportation Data Project itself warns that there are reliability issues with some recent expulsion data, so comparisons should be interpreted with caution.
The result puts Trump’s immigration policy under three simultaneous pressures: more arrests, new judicial restrictions, and political questioning even from Republican ranks.