The Department of Homeland Security is refusing to provide specific figures on ICE arrests during Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s first 105 days in office, continuing to deflect inquiries with broad, combined statistics that include data from the prior administration.
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In repeated requests, I’ve asked DHS for the exact number of interior arrests carried out by ICE since Mullin took over leadership. Instead of releasing those targeted figures, the agency has responded with aggregate numbers that blend arrests and deportations from both Mullin’s and former Secretary Kristi Noem’s tenures.
I sent a renewed inquiry sent to DHS on Tuesday read: “I am renewing my request for the complete number of ICE arrests under Markwayne Mullin’s leadership. I’m looking to ensure these numbers just represent the actual arrests made by the department and not those who were apprehended at the border.”
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DHS responded with a broader statement highlighting the Trump administration’s overall immigration enforcement efforts: “In President Trump’s first year back in office, more than 3 million illegal aliens have left the U.S. because of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration including an estimated 2.2 million self-deportations. As of June 24, we have now deported over 948,000 illegal aliens and arrested over 981,000 illegal aliens.”
Critics and sources within the agency note that these totals are significantly inflated, as they incorporate enforcement actions by multiple agencies — including ICE, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the U.S. Coast Guard — rather than reflecting ICE interior operations alone.
Multiple sources familiar with ICE operations say arrests have slowed under Mullin’s leadership. ICE personnel have also expressed confusion over recent DHS claims of 10,000 arrests in a five-day period, with insiders stating they are unable to verify or understand how that number was calculated. DHS continues to insist the agency is focused on “the worst of the worst.” However, that designation primarily covers violent illegal aliens who have been convicted or arrested for crimes committed inside the United States.
As of Tuesday, DHS had not provided the specific ICE arrest data requested for Mullin’s tenure.