ICE Quietly Arrests 10,000 in Five-Day Operation

US immigration authorities have arrested about 10,000 people suspected of being in the country illegally over a five-day period, according to sources familiar with the figures.

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The arrests were made across the United States during a recent nationwide enforcement effort, the sources said, marking a significant increase in detention activity.

Immigration arrests accelerate

Officials have also set a new operational target of at least 2,000 immigration arrests per day, according to the sources. The goal follows discussions between senior White House and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leadership aimed at increasing enforcement activity.

A source familiar with those discussions told ABC News that officials had previously urged ICE to work toward 3,000 arrests per day.

DHS highlights focus on criminal offenders

In a statement, a DHS spokesperson said immigration officers had been carrying out President Donald Trump's pledge to arrest and remove migrants accused or convicted of serious crimes.

"Since Day One, DHS law enforcement has been delivering on President Trump's promise to the American people to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists," the spokesperson said.

The Trump administration has repeatedly said its immigration crackdown is focused on what the president has described as the "worst of the worst" offenders. While the criminal records of those arrested in the latest operation have not been disclosed, the DHS spokesperson said nearly 70% of ICE arrests involve migrants who have been charged with or convicted of crimes in the United States.

Lower-profile enforcement strategy

According to sources, the recent enforcement operations have been conducted with relatively little public attention.

The approach follows a commitment by DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin during his confirmation hearing earlier this year to keep the agency focused on its work rather than publicizing enforcement actions. That represents a shift from the approach of former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who favored greater publicity for ICE operations.

ICE is also preparing for new leadership under Lance Schroyer, a close ally of Mullin and a former Oklahoma state trooper. Schroyer has no previous federal immigration enforcement experience.

Calls for more public data

Mike Howell, president of the Trump-aligned Oversight Project and a leader of the Mass Deportation Coalition, welcomed the reported increase in arrests but said the administration should release more detailed deportation statistics.

"There have been so many numbers thrown around in press releases, estimates, extrapolations, and puffery that most people are just kind of immune to it and waiting to see the hard data that's being withheld," Howell said.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 3 July 2026