This article was originally published on Crafting Your Home. A human contributor also wrote and edited the post.
EL PASO, Texas . At a massive immigration detention complex on the edge of this West Texas border city, thousands of people pass through each day as a national enforcement campaign reaches a level not seen in more than a decade.
Camp East Montana, the largest single ICE detention facility in the United States, has become one of the clearest local examples of a broader federal immigration strategy that has pushed deportation numbers sharply higher. New government figures show Immigration and Customs Enforcement has already removed more people during the first months of fiscal year 2026 than it did during the entire previous fiscal year.
The numbers tell a story of scale: hundreds of thousands of removals, record monthly arrest totals and a detention population growing nationwide. But behind every figure is a person, a family and a community experiencing the effects of one of the most significant immigration enforcement expansions in recent years.
A Border City at the Center of a National Shift
El Paso has long been one of the most visible locations in America’s immigration debate because of its position along the U.S. Mexico border.
Now, the city is also home to the country’s largest ICE detention facility, Camp East Montana, which has averaged about 2,505 detainees per day during the current fiscal year, according to data compiled by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. The facility’s population reflects a broader increase in immigration enforcement activity nationwide.
According to ICE data covering October 1, 2025, through July 11, 2026, the agency recorded 356,389 removals during fiscal year 2026. That total already exceeds the 319,980 removals recorded during all of fiscal year 2025, even though the current fiscal year still had more than two months remaining at the time of the latest figures. The pace equals roughly 1,255 to 1,260 removals every day.
The Numbers Behind the Enforcement Surge
The latest figures show several major changes in the scale of immigration enforcement.
Among the key numbers:
- 356,389 removals recorded so far in fiscal year 2026
- 319,980 removals during the entire previous fiscal year
- 65,765 people currently held in ICE detention
- About 43,000 immigration arrests recorded in June 2026 alone, the highest monthly total under the current administration
- Daily arrest averages ranging from roughly 1,438 to 1,593, depending on the period measured
The current detention population represents an increase from the 59,762 people held as of September 21, 2025, according to ICE figures. The growth has placed additional attention on facilities like Camp East Montana, where local operations are connected to a nationwide effort to increase removals.
Why El Paso Matters in the Deportation Debate
The location of Camp East Montana makes El Paso a key point in understanding the current enforcement approach. The facility’s size gives it a central role in the detention system, while its location places it near one of the busiest immigration corridors in the country.
Officials have described the increase as part of a broader effort to prioritize immigration enforcement against people considered eligible for removal. Government Executive reported that ICE has shifted away from some large public operations toward more targeted enforcement efforts focused on specific individuals.
Administration officials and supporters of tougher enforcement policies have pointed to arrest goals discussed by border czar Tom Homan, including a target pace of approximately 2,000 arrests per day.
Who Is Being Held in ICE Detention?
One of the most debated questions surrounding the numbers is who makes up the detention population.ICE data cited by ABC News shows that about 60% of people currently detained have either a criminal conviction or a pending criminal charge.
However, independent researchers have highlighted differences in how immigration records are categorized. Austin Kocher, an immigration data researcher, analyzed ICE detention data through April and found that people classified as “Other Immigration Violators” represented the largest category among interior enforcement arrests. This group includes individuals whose immigration violations may not involve a separate criminal conviction.
The Department of Homeland Security has said enforcement efforts are focused on removing people it considers dangerous, including individuals with criminal histories.
At the same time, independent analysis and government statistics show that people whose cases involve immigration violations rather than other criminal convictions represent a significant portion of those in custody. The difference reflects how agencies classify arrests and when the data was collected. ICE and independent researchers are examining different snapshots of a constantly changing detention system.
Controversy Grows Alongside the Numbers
The rapid increase in removals has intensified debate over how immigration enforcement is carried out.ABC News reported that ICE has faced scrutiny following two fatal shootings involving agents in Maine and Texas. The agency said the individuals killed were not the original targets of the operations but were in the country illegally.
Those incidents added another layer to an already heated national discussion about enforcement tactics, oversight and public safety. Supporters of expanded enforcement argue that removing people who violate immigration laws strengthens border security.
Critics argue that broader enforcement actions can affect people beyond those initially targeted and raise concerns about due process and transparency.
What the Data Still Cannot Answer
While the latest numbers show a significant increase, researchers caution that immigration data changes over time. Federal officials note that fiscal-year totals are not final until records are officially closed after September 30. Numbers can change as agencies review, correct, and finalize records.
Independent groups that track immigration enforcement data, including organizations using information obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests, have also raised concerns about incomplete records and redacted information. For that reason, experts warn against concluding a single data point without understanding how the numbers were collected.
How Close Is ICE to a Historic Record? Despite the dramatic increase, the current numbers have not yet surpassed the highest annual removal total recorded by ICE. The record remains 438,421 removals in fiscal year 2013 during the Obama administration.
The current fiscal year total of 356,389 removals remains about 82,000 below that record.
With months remaining in the fiscal year and arrest activity continuing at a high pace, the final numbers will determine whether the current enforcement campaign moves closer to that historic mark.
A National Debate Playing Out in One Texas City
For El Paso, the numbers are more than statistics. The detention population at Camp East Montana represents a daily reality for a border community where immigration policy is experienced firsthand.
Families, local officials, advocates, and law enforcement agencies continue to watch how the federal strategy develops as detention levels rise and deportations increase.
The larger question remains unresolved: whether the current enforcement approach represents a necessary expansion of immigration control or a level of government intervention that creates new challenges for communities across the country. For now, the numbers continue climbing, and El Paso remains one of the places where America’s immigration debate is most visible.
