Map Shows Which States Saw the Biggest Increases in Immigration Arrests A map from Newsweek visualizes state-by-state changes in immigration arrests leading to ICE detention between July 2025 and July 2026, following a nationwide surge in enforcement during Trump's second term. While arrests rose sharply - even to a record 51,000 in August 2026 - deportations have not kept pace, indicating delays likely due to increased targeting of individuals without final deportation orders. Immigration arrests surged to record levels under President Donald Trump, with federal agents making almost 51,000 arrests in August alone, according to data reviewed by Reuters. State-by-state figures show this increase has been widespread, with arrests leading to detention rising sharply across much of the country between July 2025 and July 2026 as the administration carries out its mass deportation policy. Newsweek created a map using data from the Deportation Data Project to visualize where arrests leading to ICE detention increased in that period. Trump has repeatedly said immigration officers are working toward delivering the "single largest Mass Deportation Program in History." According to Reuters, immigration officers have also faced pressure to increase daily arrest numbers as enforcement operations expand nationwide. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin highlighted the increase in arrests on social media, writing on September 5 that "DHS continues to break records" and that for the third straight month, ICE set a new record for the highest number of illegal aliens arrested in a single month.What the Detention Data Shows According to the data, some of the largest increases have occurred in the South and Southwest. Texas recorded the highest number of arrests leading to detention in July with 10,331 (up from 5,787 in July 2025). Florida almost tripled, increasing from 1,938 to 5,501. Arizona rose from 798 to 2,028, and Georgia increased from 842 to 2,144.Other states with notable increases include New Jersey (822→1,854), Pennsylvania (655→1,153), Tennessee (598→1,009), and Massachusetts (272→505). States that remained relatively stable include New York (1,306→1,353) and Maryland (384→496). A smaller number of states experienced declines: California fell from 2,832 to 2,386, Colorado from 534 to 466, and Rhode Island from 56 to 23. Nevada was largely unchanged (306→303).Gap Between Detentions and Deportations The rise in arrests does not directly translate into an equivalent increase in deportations. People arrested by immigration authorities can remain in detention while their immigration cases move through the courts, or they may have pending asylum claims or other legal proceedings. The distinction is significant for Trump's mass deportation policy, which depends not only on increasing arrests but on converting them into completed removals.October 2025 brought another enforcement surge during Operation Midway Blitz, with 2,034 arrests recorded in Illinois. Minnesota also saw increased activity during Operation Metro Surge in January (2,052 arrests), coinciding with the shooting deaths of two individuals by federal agents.The latest state figures align with a nationwide rise in arrests, but Reuters reports that deportations have remained relatively steady at ~1,200 per day despite the arrest spike - suggesting the crackdown increasingly targets individuals without prior deportation orders, slowing removal proceedings. Researchers from the Deportation Data Project similarly found arrest surges in June and July 2026, driven by better ICE-local law enforcement cooperation and more arrests of non-convicted individuals