White House Pushes ICE Toward 3,000 Daily Arrests Ahead of Midterms

Former ICE officials with direct knowledge say senior Department of Homeland Security executives told ICE field office directors that the agency should return to a goal of 3,000 arrests per day, amounting to 19,000 arrests each week, for the remainder of the year. The directive is described as coming directly from the White House and is framed as an operational target rather than a quota.

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ICE’s recent operations have already produced a sharp rise in detentions. In June and July, officers took almost 50,000 migrants into custody, and the monthly total again exceeded 50,000 in August—the highest weekly tally since President Donald Trump assumed office in January 2025. Because detention capacity is limited, 30-40 % of those arrested are placed in the Alternative to Deportation (ATD) program and released, while more than 225,000 individuals are currently enrolled in ATD.

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She cautioned, “Be careful of what your advisors are telling you about immigration policies,” — Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar and highlighted that 50 % of those in ICE detention lack prior criminal convictions or pending charges.

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• “Be careful of what your advisors are telling you about immigration policies,” — Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar

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• “We don’t pick and choose which laws we enforce. We enforce the immigration policy that Congress passed and obligated Department of Homeland Security to enforce,” — Markwayne Mullin, homeland security secretary

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