Ice Remains Far From Meeting Mullin’s Deportation Goals

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s deportations have remained mostly flat so far this year, despite Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s pledge to increase deportations in 2026, according to figures shared with POLITICO.

A person familiar with the DHS figures on deportations said that the overall number of deportations has fluctuated under Mullin, reaching close to 2,000 per day at varying points in recent weeks, but that the number is in general matching the number of deportations under former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

A second person familiar with internal DHS statistics added that the number of detainees in ICE custody has remained relatively constant in recent weeks, at around 68,000. That is a sign removals are not significantly outpacing arrests — which have averaged about 1,500 arrests and bookings a day in recent weeks, the person said. Under Noem, arrests peaked at about 1,900 a day.

Mullin, who took over from Noem in March, said in June that DHS was on track this year to exceed the number of arrests and deportations it conducted in 2025.

The removal numbers under Mullin, which have not been previously reported, come as he faces an onslaught of criticism from immigration hardliners — particularly after he made comments over the weekend emphasizing the need for visas for temporary workers in sectors such as agriculture.

The deportation numbers also remain far below the target set by powerful White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller — echoed by Mullin — to detain 3,000 people a day.

The second person said that the average number of ICE arrests also decreased at the end of July going into August. That person did not have figures on the number of people actually deported.

Both people were granted anonymity to freely discuss closely held figures.

In 2025, DHS deported more than 500,000 immigrants — far below the White House’s goal of a million deportations a year.

Mullin’s comments over the weekend at the National Governors Association meeting prompted sharp criticism from President Donald Trump’s allies, including influencer Laura Loomer and former campaign strategist Steve Bannon. Bannon went so far as to call on Trump to replace the DHS chief with Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, who until Monday was also serving as acting director of national intelligence.

Some Trump administration allies tried over the weekend to argue that under Mullin’s leadership, record deportations are occurring. Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet posted on social media on Saturday that a “source at DHS” said that the last 7-day average of forced removals was around 4,291, without other evidence to support his claims.

The person familiar with DHS arrest figures expressed frustration at the discrepancy.

“Everyone is saying ‘it’s better than it was under Noem,’ but it’s not,” the person said. “Reality doesn’t back it up.”

Asked about the deportation figures, DHS said in a statement that between arrests and self-deportations, more than 3 million unauthorized immigrants have left the United States and that “as of July 12, we have now deported over 985,000 illegal aliens and arrested over 1 million illegal aliens.” DHS did not refute any of the statistics shared with POLITICO.

The White House referred a request for comment back to DHS.

The political maelstrom before Mullin underscores the challenges associated with the lofty deportation goals the administration set for 2026. Deporting thousands of people requires a significant amount of infrastructure, including space in detention facilities, vehicles to transport detained unauthorized immigrants and a sufficient number of immigration officers to apprehend unauthorized immigrants for removal from the United States.

Despite billions of dollars allocated to DHS by Congress in recent funding bills to broadly support deportation objectives, the department has struggled to expand its current detention capacity. A rapid hiring surge has also raised questions about whether new ICE officers have received necessary training to properly arrest unauthorized immigrants targeted for removal.