Record arrests and deportations of immigrants in US as Trump administration quietly ramps up enforcement — State department halts all immigrant visa applications

26 August 2026 | Washington, Los Angeles, Springfield — Updated 23:45 GMT

The Trump administration arrested and deported a record number of immigrants in July, according to newly released government data – apprehending an average of 1,500 people and removing 1,100 people daily.

This latest data confirms what attorneys and immigrant advocates have been seeing across the US – although the administration has moved away from the high-profile, militarized raids that came to define its immigration enforcement approach last year, it is quietly ramping up its operations.

All US immigrant visa applications have been paused by the Trump administration as the state department moves to tighten restrictions and limit access to applicants who they deem could end up relying on US assistance, a state department official confirmed Tuesday.

The agency launched the initiative at all embassies and consulates in early August, according to the official and visa appointments had to be adjusted to accommodate "in-depth training". The state department has been working on updated guidance and training since early this year, "to ensure all consular officers are fully equipped to evaluate every visa applicant comprehensively and consistently".

Welcome to the latest world headlines — where immigration enforcement, visa restrictions, and the Trump administration's crackdown converge.

Record 49,571 Immigrants Arrested in July as Trump Administration Ramps Up Enforcement

The Trump administration arrested and deported a record number of immigrants in July, according to newly released government data – apprehending an average of 1,500 people and removing 1,100 people daily.

This latest data confirms what attorneys and immigrant advocates have been seeing across the US – although the administration has moved away from the high-profile, militarized raids that came to define its immigration enforcement approach last year, it is quietly ramping up its operations.

"The way that people are being detained is far less flashy, but we are still continuing to see arrests," said Melissa Shepard, director of legal services at the southern California-based immigrant services group ImmDef. "It's just on a quieter scale instead of, you know, 10, 12 officers making one arrest, you have a handful of officers pulling someone over."

Overall, 49,571 people were arrested last month, according to government data obtained by the Deportation Data Project – the highest number since October 2022, and a 15% increase from the previous record set in June of this year.

Despite the administration's insistence that it is targeting criminals, a record number of people caught in the surge of arrests in July had no prior criminal history. July was the first month during the second Trump administration that the majority of people – 51% of arrestees — had no criminal convictions or charges, according to the Guardian's analysis.

Removals were also at a record high in July. Nearly 34,000 people were removed from the US last month, the most since the start of the second Trump administration.

Administration Employs 'Quieter' Tactics as ICE Enforcement Expands

Boosted by a $70bn funding surge, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – the agency that oversees ICE and the border patrol – has been working to ramp up to the White House goal of 2,000 arrests every day. Immigrants are being arrested when they report to mandated appointments at ICE offices, at traffic stops, outside their homes and, increasingly, at US airports.

"I think it's just they're looking for any way to be able to continue to detain people," said Shepard. "They are being creative." In recent weeks, she said, ImmDef has advised even clients with pending or valid immigration statuses, who are legally cleared for travel, to avoid flying due to the uptick of enforcement.

Attorneys are also advising clients with temporary protective status (TPS) to make sure they apply for different forms of immigration relief after the supreme court cleared the way for the administration to strip the designation from 50,000 Haitians and 6,100 Syrians.

In the past month, the administration has been particularly focused on enforcement in the Springfield, Ohio, area, where a large group of Haitians with TPS had settled in recent years. Advocacy groups in Springfield said that Haitians were being called in to ICE offices and fitted with ankle monitors.

The first deportation flight to Haiti since the supreme court decision landed last week. TPS for Salvadorans is set to expire in September – ending protections for 170,000 people.

"I am anticipating and a little afraid for what it's going to look like with the end of TPS," said Shepard. "I think we are at the precipice."

ICE's enforcement powers have also been boosted by the rapidly expanding 287(g) program – which deputizes local law enforcement agencies to carry out immigration enforcement. Markwayne Mullin, the DHS secretary, called the program "the greatest partnership we can have" – and said it was a key part of his goal to conduct enforcement in a "more quiet way".

Attorneys and advocates told the Guardian that these sorts of immigration arrests can go unnoticed in many communities, because it can be difficult for passersby to discern whether a local police officer is making a routine traffic stop or an immigration apprehension. Volunteer groups that, amid the militarized raids last winter, had trained to document ICE arrests and take down details to help locate those in detention later are now recalibrating how to track enforcement in their cities and provide assistance.

State Department Halts All Immigrant Visa Applications Amid Tightening Restrictions

All US immigrant visa applications have been paused by the Trump administration as the state department moves to tighten restrictions and limit access to applicants who they deem could end up relying on US assistance, a state department official confirmed Tuesday.

The agency launched the initiative at all embassies and consulates in early August, according to the official and visa appointments had to be adjusted to accommodate "in-depth training", according to the official. The state department has been working on updated guidance and training since early this year, "to ensure all consular officers are fully equipped to evaluate every visa applicant comprehensively and consistently", they added.

Financial Times reports that applicants with interviews already scheduled were sent emails that their appointments had been canceled and that they would be informed of a new date and time.

Agency officials claim this will ensure visa applicants will not end up relying on US public benefits. But it's part of a slate of strategies the Trump administration has employed to crack down on both lawful and undocumented immigration and create a more selective process for who can gain entry into the system.

This week the Trump administration also announced plans to revoke visas from asylum seekers who initially entered the country for tourism or business. Up to 200,000 people currently seeking asylum could be impacted, marking what would end up being the largest mass pulling of visas in the history of the US. The action is being taken in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security.

Under Trump, visa applicants have also faced new restrictions, including review of their social media histories and added costs for processing, the Associated Press reported.

The pause on new visas and training program follows an attempt by Trump to block applications on a similar "public charge" basis, which included a block on applications from 75 countries selected by the administration, which was recently overturned by a federal judge.

"The court made clear that immigration laws cannot be used to justify discrimination," Joanna Cuevas Ingram, senior staff attorney at the National Immigration Law Center said in a statement last week. "We are determined to ensure every person and family this ban harmed receives appropriate relief and will continue to hold this administration accountable to its obligations under the law."

In February, a federal judge overturned the president's attempt to suspend the US refugee system entirely. Federal agents, under Trump, have been allowed to block asylum seekers from entering the US, a move that human rights advocates said undermines international asylum laws.

The latest attempt to restrict access will cause immediate obstacles for those who have lawfully abided by an already challenging process, according to immigration law experts.

Many applicants impacted by the pause likely "spent thousands of dollars and disrupted their lives to attend scheduled interviews, only to have their appointments cancelled at the last minute", Brian Simmons, an attorney at immigration law firm Fragomen in Washington told FT. It's unclear when those appointments will be rescheduled.

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